Twisted Ties
by roguetimechild
Summary: Jo was a little skeptical of the consequences she would suffer when a mysterious woman helped prevent her death, but why is almost everyone, even Dean, so resentful towards her now?
1. The Deal

If you're looking for one of those hot-sex fanfics, you've come to the wrong place. Sorry. (But not really. Call me old-fashioned.)

I'm a hardcore Dean/Jo shipper.

And Jo and Ruby are my favorite girls.

So here's the story.

Sorry in advance for the typos.

It gets better after the first two chapters. Would you mind bearing with me?

No rights to Supernatural.

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><p>Jo was beginning to think that maybe she'd made a mistake.<p>

When she'd passed out from blood loss, too weak to even tell her mom she loved her, she'd been accepting of the fact that she would die.

But here she was, fixed, new and improved. But she felt sick inside, like her guts actually would spill out of her body this time.

She wasn't sure whether or not you were supposed to dream when you were passed out, or if that was the work of the creature that made the deal with her.

"Oh, sweetie," she'd pouted in mock sympathy. "I'm so sorry."

"What are you talking about?" she'd spat in reply.

"Look at yourself."

Jo had, and in her dream thing, she was just as bloody and torn up, the difference being she didn't feel the pain it was causing her back in the real world.

"We really got you good, didn't we?"

Jo was suddenly embarrassed that the forces of evil she'd spent so long overpowering had put her in this condition.

"It's a shame," the being in her dream had shaken her head at this. "He finally liked you."

"What?" she barked.

"Oh, you know, Dean. You spend all these years pining for him from afar, and he finally likes you. And now, he might never get a chance to love you."

Jo hung her head and tried not to let this affect her.

"But what if you had years to live? Years to see where this thing with Dean takes you?"

Jo had looked up absentmindedly and tried to push down the hope that had risen in her. "He only kissed me because I was dying."

"Maybe that's just what it took to help him realize he loved you. I mean, he has an impressive string of women in his life. Maybe you all bloody and dying is what it took to make you stand out from the pack."

Jo stared at the thing heavily. "Why are you telling me all this?"

"To sweeten the deal."

"What deal?"

This is what the thing was getting it. It was obvious in the way she straightened, like a villain finally able to reveal her motives to the ones she'd been stringing along. She crossed her arms tightly and slinked toward Jo, eyeballing her seriously.

"You can get your life back. At least for a while. And all I want is—"

"My soul," Jo finished for her. "Yeah, right. Get lost. How can a crossroads demon walk dreams?"

"Maybe I'm not a crossroads demon," she suggested intriguingly.

Jo looked over the woman. She looked human, short haircut with a one-note dye job, late thirties, and customary slimy attitude that most evil creatures with a grasp of the English language possessed. She looked like a crossroads demon, not that she'd ever seen one. But what else could she be?

"What are you, then?" Jo asked.

"Now, now. Where are your manners, Joanna?" the thing patronized. "What I am is of no import to you. What does matter is your answer. Do you want to live again?"

"I don't want to go to hell," Jo had proclaimed assuredly.

"I don't want that for you either, honey," the thing had assured her.

"You aren't planning to come for me in ten years and drag me to my doom?"

"No, honey, no," she said affectionately. "You can have your life back, and then never see me again."

"Well, you know what they say about things that seem too good to be true."

"You're a smart girl," she had nodded. "Don't worry, there's a kicker. I won't bring back your mom."

"What? Why?"

"That's another one of the things that's none of your business."

"No, don't think you can sign off my mom's death sentence and I'd just go along with it quietly. Make this deal with my mom instead."

"You think that's heroic, do you?" she had raised an eyebrow. "Do you think mommy dearest would like knowing that her darling daughter gave up her chance at life for her?"

"She doesn't have to know."

"Maybe not," she shrugged. "Too bad she's already dead."

"_Huh_?"

"Yup," she had stated matter-of-factly, no remorse in her voice. "She's gone. And I can't get her back. Now take it or leave it, honey."

Jo was not willing to accept that. "You can bring me back, can't you?"

"No, actually," she had revealed. "I can't bring people back from the dead."

"Aren't I . . . ?"

"No, sweetheart. But you're closing in. So you better hurry up and decide."

And, well, here she was.

She didn't know why she felt so sick about the situation. She thought she understood at first. She'd woken up in a pile of rubble, all put back together, like a miracle. No scars, no bruises, not even the ones she'd retained from the past, nor the ones from the explosion that should have killed her.

And then she'd looked to her right, and there were the remains of her mother.

That's why she felt so sick, she decided. That was at least one reason, wasn't it?

Without a mother's house to run to, she was walking towards the only other place of solace she could think of.

The Winchesters' house.

Well, Bobby's house. But she suspected the Winchester's would be there. If not, scouring every motel across the country didn't seem realistic, so she'd probably just stay with Bobby until she pulled herself together and could go hunting again. It's not like she had money for a motel for herself right now.

She'd been walking for a while. She could have hotwired a car, but stealing wasn't her thing. Besides, with death so potent and strikingly possible now, she felt like being a good girl.

Her feet were sore by the time Bobby's house was in sight. She didn't know when she'd developed the limp she was now sporting.

A black Impala was in the driveway. The Winchesters were there.

Jo hadn't been nervous about dropping in. I mean, Sam and Dean hadn't exactly seemed happy at the prospect of her dying, of voluntarily exploding herself to save herself from what was chasing her.

_What if those weren't hounds?_

The thought suddenly sprung to her mind, as if unbidden. I mean, they were invisible. What if those weren't hounds? She couldn't see them, after all. What if they were just there to put her in that position, the position to make a deal?

Get over yourself, Jo thought to herself. That mission was not all about her. That mission was to fight some big, strong evil thing that any old hunt would have brought about.

Jo shook the thought away as she approached the porch. Nervousness started to well up inside her, but she shoved it away before it became too notable. They would be happy to see her, she assured herself. She knocked on the door assuredly, three times, even intervals between the raps.

She waited for several seconds. After about a minute passed, she knocked again, three times, with shorter intervals of separation.

She didn't think much of it. Of course they'd be skeptical of opening the door.

Jo wasn't going to give up. She continued waiting.

After about two minutes of waiting and knocking and waiting and knocking, the door swung open. It wasn't hesitant, more like whoever opening it was ripping off the metaphorical band-aid.

It was Dean.

He looked older already, like the time without her had aged him, and that possibility brought a smile to her face. (So maybe she was still pining. Old habits die hard.) He was in a three-fourths sleeve tan shirt and jeans, and it looked good on him.

His eyes widened slightly when he saw her, and lips parting, not as if to say something, just because whatever was holding his lips together seemed to be dissolved with her appearances.

"Hey, Dean," she chuckled weakly. A whole string of emotions was set off when she saw him again, after believing she wouldn't ever again, not in this life. She didn't bother making sense of them now. She was too busy anxiously awaiting his response, what he'd do first when he found words.

"Jo?" he asked, voice emotionless, indiscernible.

"Yeah, it's me," she confirmed, her smile spreading through her features.

And then Dean promptly shut the door in her face.


	2. Welcoming Committee

That apocalypse thing that happened in season five? Let's say that's not happening now. At least not for this story.

No rights to Supernatural

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><p>Jo knocked again, pointedly and little annoyed.<p>

Dean opened the door again, his expression hard.

"Well, I see I've missed welcoming committee," Jo frowned.

"What do you want, Jo?" Dean barked at her.

Jo nearly cringed at his tone. "I wanted a 'Hey, Jo' or a 'Nice to see you alive and kicking, Jo' or a swift attack because you doubt my ability to be alive right now."

Dean didn't respond.

"Aren't you . . . do you believe it's really me?" Jo questioned.

"I don't really care," Dean told her.

"And . . . and why's that?" she asked, hiding her hurt.

"Who is it?" someone called from farther inside. Jo recognized the voice immediately, and the heavy footsteps that implied that something relatively moose-sized was trudging about.

Sam appeared beside Dean, and at the sight of her, his features went slack. Jo waiting anxiously for his expression to change, for him to get past the initial surprise of seeing her. Would he regard her with warmth or the same bitterness Dean was inexplicably harboring?

It was more of the latter.

"Jo," he said grimly.

"What is up with you guys?" Jo exclaimed. "Should there be a gun pointed at my chest or something?"

"That can be arranged," Dean offered up.

"What?" Jo scoffed. "Are you two okay?"

"We're fine," Dean told her. "We just have a sort of contempt for people we don't like."

"You don't like me?" Dean raised her eyebrows, gaining great quantities of attitude. "That's great, Dean. Is that what you were thinking when you kissed me?"

Dean stiffened, as if the memory was dreadful to him.

"That was a mistake," he told her. "Besides, you were dying. Is a little pity such a bad thing?"

"Wait, I have a question," Sam cut in. A little hope welled up inside Jo. "If you're alive, is Ellen . . . ?"

Jo's attitude and snark drained. "No . . . no, she's gone."

Suspicion suddenly took its place in Dean's features alongside what seemed like pure hate. His face was crowded with negativity. "And you're looking nice and pretty," Dean pointed out.

A smidge of her attitude made an appearance. "You think I'm pretty, hun?"

Dean knitted his brow. "Shut up." It was as if the thought repulsed him.

"I didn't kill my own mom, if that's what you're implying," Jo told them.

"But somehow you're still walking and noticeably less bloody then how we left you," Sam pointed out.

"I know. I know, I . . ." she trailed off.

"She made a deal," Dean sighed, as if the thought were more shameful than killing ones' own mother, as he hadn't done that exact thing in his own lifetime. "A crossroads deal."

"No, no, not exactly. I . . ." she stopped.

The deal. The deal with whatever she'd encountered.

There _was _a catch. It _was _too good to be true.

"Guys, listen to me," she began intensely. "There's something wrong here."

"The fact that you're breathing and Ellen isn't?" Dean suggested.

"No! I made a deal, Dean. But not a crossroads deal. Something else came to me. Something that can enter peoples' unconscious minds. I think it messed with you guys."

"Oh, so we've done something wrong? We've wronged you somehow?" Sam scowled.

"No! I mean, well, yes, you did almost sexually assault me and tie me to a post that one time."

"That was Meg, actually," Sam pointed out unapologetically, "but it's not like you didn't deserve it."

Jo was shocked. Sam was the nice one.

"What do you guys remember about me?" she asked urgently.

"That you're super uncool and are not allowed to sit at my lunch table," Dean replied.

"I mean specific memories."

"Um," Sam began, "one time you tried to exorcise a demon out of me. And there was no demon inside of me."

"Sounds like her," Dean nodded.

"What do you remember, Dean?" Jo asked.

"You've held a rifle to my back, you've tailed me on dangerous missions against your mother's wishes, you've been the bait to lure me to shoot my own brother, and you tortured him because you thought there was a demon in him. Shall I go on?"

"_You_ thought there was a demon in _me_!" she protested.

"Well, have you met Sam? He's a golden retriever," Dean said, gesturing towards his brother. "You, on the other hand . . ."

"Listen to me," Jo went on urgently. "I made a deal with . . . with something, I'm not sure what. And it healed me. But I think she messed something up."

"Are you expecting sympathy from us?"

"I didn't expect _this_," she said. "Look, we're supposed to be friends, at least. I think the monster made you hate me."

"I think that had more to do with your personality and overall lack of appeal," Dean chimed in with an innocent smile.

Jo held up her hand. "Okay, can you cool it with the jabs, Don Rickles?" Pining or not, Dean was masterful at being irritating. "Look, you don't actually hate me. I'm not sure what's going on right now."

"Sammy, do you believe this extremely improbable and unconvincingly delivered story?" Dean asked.

"Nope," Sam replied shortly.

"Aww, Sam, I thought you were the smart one."

Jo didn't say that.

"Was that . . . ?" Sam trailed off.

The tap of her boot heel was heard more potently with the strut the wearer was putting in her steps.

"Hey, boys," she greeted, a hint of a smirk on her lips almost imperceptible under what seemed like irritation.

Sam wouldn't seem to stop staring. As greeting, he breathed a single name.

"Ruby?"


	3. Ruby's Return

Okay, you're probably right, clarifying the time line is probably a good idea.

Technically, it's after Abandon All Hope, and that's why Jo was in the deal situation. But the apocalypse isn't happening in this story. (They were just hunting some monster.) So situationally, the premise is more like season 1-3, but the characters they've met and the relationships they've established are most similar to the very beginning of season four or five. I hope that's not too confusing for you.

So far, this is one of the chapters I'm happiest with.

Reviews are lovely.

Enjoy!

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><p>The porch was crowded with blondes and the entryway was crowded with Winchester. Each team stared the other team down, but each stare was subtly different.<p>

Sam's stare was shock, and there was no better word to describe it.

Dean's stare was spiteful, shifting between the members of Team Blonde.

Jo's was the most confused of the bunch, her gaze shifting to a new person every few seconds, sometimes her own team member, hoping one of the expression would tell her what was going on.

Ruby, the newest arrival and currently in competition for most shocking, merely crossed her arms, leaned on one hip, and stared down Team Winchester with an amused half-smile, as if they'd done something petty to her that they wrongly thought they could get away with, like yanking on her pigtails.

"Sam," Ruby grinned. "I might say you've grown, but honestly, I stopped keeping track around six-foot-two."

"You get off my porch," Dean demanded roughly.

"Calm down, honey," Ruby scrunched her eyebrows. "That's no way to treat a lady, especially after what I've been through to track you worms down again. You guys are like extremely tall needles in an earth-sized haystack."

"Well, I don't consider you a lady as much as I see you as a conniving waste of space," Dean told her with a forced smile.

Jo was startled at Dean's behavior. She'd never seen him so hateful. She desperately hoped it was the creature's doing or that the new arrival was pure evil.

"Wait, what is it that you've been through?" Sam asked curiously.

"Does it matter?" Dean scoffed. "We're not going through what she's put _us _through again."

"How exactly have a wronged you, Dean?" Ruby asked.

"That's my question, too," Jo chimed in briefly.

"And, like before, I have an answer," Dean began. "You got my brother to go all vampire wannabe on us, trained him to use dark forces, and, consequently, he's no longer as sweet as he used to be."

"I'm not?"

"There's a bit more baggage dragging you down, but that's understandable."

"Has this been a regular thing, or-?"

"You guys want me to get the couples counselor or are you going to listen?" Ruby interrupted.

"Oh, please continue," Dean offered sardonically. "Please let us know what new lie you've cooked up for us on this evening's episode of The Ruby Show."

The jab seemed to roll right of Ruby's back and she went on.

"That thing riding the comatose chick with the dark hair? That wasn't me."

"No?" Sam asked skeptically.

"Nope. It pretended to be to play you. Someone knew you would be able to trust me because in our allotted time together, you'd gotten kind of attached to me." She looked pointedly at Dean. "Both of you."

Dean straightened up and his expression hardened. "Okay, are you honestly trying to say—"

She held up a hand to silence him. "Relax, I'm kidding. Just wanted to see how you'd react. Honestly, I'm offended. But the Sam part's true. He actually did trust me to some degree, and thing riding the coma girl knew that."

Dean glared at Sam, who avoided his gaze.

"That spiteful glare at brother dearest. Can I take that as you believing me?"

"There are still plenty of holes in your story, Wifeswap," Dean said.

"Name them."

"Where have you been if that wasn't you?" Sam inquired.

"Well, Lillith took this body from me back when she tried to kill Dean, but it's like she just shoved me out of it. She didn't send me anywhere. After there was that whole throw-down, after you guys had left, I just sort-of waltzed back into this body. Thanks for not even cleaning up my body, by the way. You guys are sweethearts."

"And where have you been since?" Sam prodded.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," she said.

"Well, then not much would change, would it?" Dean pointed out.

She pursed her lips at him. "Fine." She hesitated before she said, "I've been hunting."

"Hunting?" Sam and Dean exclaimed simultaneously.

"Yep. Vampires, werewolves, you name it. If there's a romance novel about it, I've probably slaughtered it skillfully. Or sloppily. Whatever I had time for."

"And why have you taken a break from being a superhero to tell us about it on Bobby's porch?" Dean pressed.

"Because I missed you," she shrugged innocently with an exaggerated pout.

Dean cocked his head to the side doubtfully.

Ruby chortled. "Since I'm supposed to be in the league of evil, I'm kind of in tune to what they're planning. I heard that this one," she jabbed a thumb at Jo, "is slated as weapon against," she extended her index and middle finger, "you two dunderheads."

"No surprises there," Dean sighed.

"What?" Jo shrieked. "Do you honestly think I'd ever do anything to hurt them, then you don't—"

"You're not doing it on purpose, Nobel Peace Prize," Ruby droned. Jo's head was beginning to spin with all of Ruby and Dean's degrading nicknames. "Look, I'm not exact on the details, but what I know is that this girl supposed to be utilized against" she cocked her head toward the boys, "you guys."

"Well, I have a solution," Dean offered. "I kick you two off this porch and you go on your merry way."

"Is that really smart, Dean?" Ruby asked.

"It's efficient."

"And dumb. I don't know what the baddies are planning right now, but sending Peace Prize away leaves her unprotected and open to being swept up by the bad guys and used for whatever they're plotting."

"So what? Are you suggesting we set up a room for her and make her feel at home?" Dean asked.

"A-plus, Einstein," Ruby nodded, pulling out another nickname. "Maybe Sam isn't the smart one after all."

"The problem being we don't exactly like Jo," Sam reminded her.

"Dean's right. You really _aren't _sweet anymore," Ruby raised an eyebrow. "Now why is it that you don't like this pretty little thing?" When Dean opened his mouth, she added, "And please, ten seconds without a single smart-mouthed notion from anyone but me."

Dean crossed his arms resentfully.

"Let's take a quiz. When was it take you started not liking Jo?"

Sam and Dean, reluctantly, actually thought about the answer. When they came to an answer, they decided they didn't like it, and thought harder. But they couldn't find a decent reply.

"You don't know, do you?" Ruby noted, knowing them all too well. "It's because you don't hate Jo. Well, you're not supposed to. That's the work of the naughties that want to bring an end to the consistently annoying Winchester line."

"They madeus _think _we hate Jo?" Sam asked.

"From my understanding, that's exactly what happened."

The group pondered that for a moment as Jo mentally kicked herself. _Don't make deals with evil things, Jo_, she reprimanded herself. _You'd think that'd be obvious. Do we need to go over the house rules again? What would your mother say?_

Thinking of her mom, sadness bloomed within her. Like many of the things she'd felt tonight, she shoved it aside in light of the relevancy of the situation at hand and/or more prominent thing she was feeling presently. She pushed every negative feeling that came at her to the recesses of her mind and waited for someone to say something.

Dean spoke after a while. "Planted or not, it still feels like real hate, and there's evidence to back up why I hate her. May I tell you the rifle-at-my-back story?"

He pointed at Jo as he said this, sort of absentmindedly, but it felt like he'd shot her. Dean not being infatuated with her every move? She could accept that. But hate? That hurt.

"Hate is rarely justified, Dean," Ruby shook her head. "It's not a healthy emotion, and people stumble onto it for petty things. You can hate anyone if you emphasized the right memories."

"Did you join some monks while you were gone?" Dean mocked.

Ruby sighed deeply, fed up. "Just," she grabbed one of Jo's arms and thrust her towards the boys, who jumped back as she neared them as if she were infected, "hole up Peace Prize, here, and make sure no bad guys get to her. And don't let her get in between you. I think the goal is to turn you two against each other and then come in for the kill."

"Don't worry," Dean assured her. "We're on a united front of vehement dislike toward Peace Prize."

Ruby sighed again. "It's a start."

Jo looked up at Sam and Dean, still cringing from her. Yes, this hurt terribly, but she had a reputation of hardcore-ness to maintain.

She arched her back, rolled her neck, and found her personality again. "Thanks, boys," she chimed. "Don't hog the TV, okay? My show is on Fridays at nine."

Sam and Dean were exchanging regretful looks when they heard the thwack of a high-heeled boot cross the threshold.

Dean held a hand up in front of Ruby. "Whoa, sister, you aren't invited to the slumber party unless there is a pillow fight on the schedule," he said. "You know what, scratch that, you're not invited at all."

"It would be smart to have me around, Dean," Ruby explained. "I'm an unbiased third party who isn't hating on Peace Prize. I can help keep her from coming between you two, help fight off baddies, and make sure you don't kill her in cold blood."

"That's awful kind of you, but no thanks," Dean rejected . "We've got Bobby to help with all that stuff. He hasn't been sippin' on Haterade, has he? Bobby's an adequate unbiased third party, but thank you for the offer."

"Hey, who was at the door?"

As if on cue, Bobby rolled in on his wheelchair at that moment. Catching sight of Jo, he froze.

"Ugh," he scoffed at her, then promptly spun around and rolled out of the room.

Dean's face fell and he didn't turn to see Ruby's broad, triumphant grin.

"Hey, Peace Prize!" she called, still drinking up her small victory. "I call top bunk."


	4. Contemptible, Honey

Don't worry, Cas fans. I'm planning on having him later. Maybe. No promises.

Reviews are lovely inventions.

I do not own Supernatural. Go Kripke.

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><p>Neither Sam, Dean, Jo, Ruby, or Bobby had slept since the girls' arrivals. Jo and Ruby had arrived just before the sun came up and no one had bothered trying to go back to sleep.<p>

Jo busied herself in the kitchen, thinking that making breakfast for everyone would prove she was worthy of trust. She didn't mind it, but she was mildly unsettled about the gender role she was filling. At least she wasn't making sandwiches.

The kitchen had an open archway to the Podunk little living room where Sam, Dean, and Ruby were currently tolerating each other. She could hear everything they were saying.

"I don't like this," Dean repeated for the umpteenth time. He was cramming himself as far the right as he could manage on the couch trying to distance himself from Ruby.

"We know, champ," Ruby sighed, flipping TV channels lazily. "And you don't like us, this is a huge mistake, blah blah, blonde joke, blah. We get it."

"I haven't strangled Jo. I think I can keep that up for the rest of my life. Especially with The Conscious Kid around."

Sam, who was cleaning his gun, frowned up at his brother.

"That's not the only reason we're here," Ruby told him. "One, it's safest to keep the girl here. I already explained that, Dean. I thought your listening skills were you most attractive feature."

"Actually, I like to think it's my pleasant smile or tortured past."

Ruby rolled her eyes and bit her lip. "Two, the thing coming after you guys is trying to separate you first and then strike. That means all of you. The thing is not just anti-Winchester. It's anti-hunter. If you can take out Jo and each other, then so be it."

"How is putting us in the same house going to help us not turn against each other?" Dean asked.

"One of you is probably going to stop hating her once it sinks in that you're not supposed to. I would think The Conscious Kid over there."

Sam glared. "Don't bet on it."

"That's the hate talking, Sam," Ruby assured him. "You're actually quite charming."

"Why do you have to be here, again?" Dean asked.

"Well, you're right about something. Housing you all up together might actually prove counterproductive. I'm keeping the peace."

"Let's not get started on the irony of that."

"Whoever was with you the last few months, Dean, it wasn't me," Ruby snapped.

"Oh, of course not. You've been _hunting._ Fighting the _good fight_."

"Are you ever going to accept me as a decent human being?"

"You're not even a human being."

"Could you two not fight, please?" Sam requested.

"Sammy, really, if you start trusting this woman _one more time, _do not put it past me to chop off one of your limbs."

"I'm not the one you should be worried about," Ruby glowered.

"Oh, right. The _thing_. The _thing _is what we should be concerned about. Meerkats could start colonies in the holes your story has left to fill."

"Meerkats? That's disappointingly random, Dean. Your humor has suffered without me," Ruby shook her head. "Should Bobby being looking into my story? He's your encyclopedia, isn't he?"

"Would it hurt you to respect your elders?" The creaking of wheels against the rickety would floors signaled Bobby's arrival.

"Holding in all her smart mouth comments?" Dean said. "She might actually pull something."

"You're one to talk," Ruby spat.

"Where's Ellen's kid?" Bobby asked.

"Over here," Jo called. "I'm making breakfast."

"You using up our food supply?" Bobby frowned.

"What? I . . . I was just . . ."

"Wait, what'd you make?" Dean wondered aloud.

"Pancakes," Jo replied nervously.

"Well, there are worse crimes you could commit," Dean admitted with an annoying grin. "Bring one over."

Jo frowned as she wiped her hands with a paper towel. She didn't think much before she uttered, "Are your legs broken?"

There was heavy silence in the house. Dean turned on the couch to face her.

"What'd you say to me?"

"_Are your legs broken_?" she repeated defiantly.

"Lady, I've had a long week—" Dean started to say.

"Really, Dean?" Jo's voice rose, and attitude that not even Ruby could compete with painted her words. "Please tell me all about it. Wanna know about mine? I got all ripped up trying to save your life precious life, I woke up beside my mother's dead body, and I came here to find that some of my best friends thing I am the scum of this Earth. So, please. Please tell me why you're so terribly burdened that you can't stand up and get yourself a pancake that _I made_."

She threw down the paper towel and stalked into the living, passing all the people now staring at her, and stormed her way outside. The sunlight shocked her at first, but she kept walking.

Inside, Sam and Dean exchanged looks. Sam, unconsciously, also exchanged glances with Ruby. Dean noticed, though, and let out a deep sigh internally. Was he the only one who knew how to trust the right people?

After a hostile glare from Dean, there was a thick silence. After several seconds and much deliberation, Dean stood up and hesitantly meandered to the door Jo had just walked out if. After placing his hand on the knob a long while, he suddenly changed his mind about what he was going to do and scuttled back to where he was sitting.

Ruby scoffed. "Honestly, you people! Have you no decency?" she said, and then pushed up off the couch and made her way toward the front door herself, thrusting the remote at Dean's face before he swatted it into his lap in surprise.

Jo was sitting on the edge of porch, her head in her hands. She heard the door open behind her, but she didn't know what someone would want to say to her now.

"Hey, sweet pea," a feminine voice greeted her.

She spun her head around to see Ruby, leaning against the door frame, who seemed startled at the sight of it.

"That's weird. I thought you'd be crying."

"I don't cry easily," Jo said.

"That makes two of us," Ruby told her, "but the boys inside? By now, I think they could do it on command. They're regular crybabies."

"They didn't seem too torn up about me dying," she pointed out.

"Well, they mostly cry for each other," Ruby informed her. "It's unhealthy, really. But I think he was pretty torn up, considering you don't share DNA."

"How would you know?"

"They hate you a lot," Ruby answered simply, coming to sit herself down next to Jo.

"Yeah, that makes sense," Jo frowned.

"However much hate that the monster we're talking about injected into them, it seems like a massive dose," she explained. "Maybe that dose was so colossal because they loved you so much. As a friend, of course."

"Of course," Jo sighed, making sure her voice was sardonic enough to not imply anything about her feelings.

"Don't worry. It ain't that bad," Ruby comforted. "They don't like me very much either."

Jo looked up at her. "Yeah, why is that?" she asked curiously.

"Some girl tried to pretend to be me and messed with their lives," she elucidated. "That's one reason. And maybe the demon thing."

"Demon thing?" Jo scrunched her forehead.

"You didn't hear. I'm supposedly a demon."

Jo, who seconds ago when joined her on the porch, was under the impression that this woman might be her only friend for a while, was suddenly struck with the urge to slit her throat.

"Yeah, I know," Ruby sneered, seeing Jo's expression. "Look, I'm not proud."

"You said 'supposedly,'" Jo noted. "What do you mean by that?"

"I mean, I've been told I'm a demon, as punishment for the witchcraft I partook in. Let me tell you, magic is not as glamorous as Harry Potter makes it seem. It's evil. And, supposedly, I was turned into a demon as punishment."

"But . . .?"

"But I don't feel like a demon," she shrugged simply. "I have feelings and a conscious, and I've gone as far as to believe in God, but then again, when you shoot me with a gun, I don't die, and I'm in the form of whoever this chick I'm riding is."

"Maybe you're not a demon," Jo suggested.

"I wish. Maybe that way the Winchester boys would tolerate me more and not doubt my every motive," she sighed wistfully, leaning back on the porch and propping herself up on her elbows.

"How do you deal with that?" Jo asked. "Them hating you."

"I like to think they don't _hate _me," Ruby clarified. "They merely resent me for what I am. Or, what I'm supposed to be."

"Well, how do you deal with that?"

"Looking for advice?" Ruby teased.

"Maybe I am."

Ruby chuckled. "Sarcasm. And lots and lots of snark."

"Aren't they the same thing?"

Ruby cocked her head up toward her. "You clearly lack experience."

"Hey! I have so much snark, I can make your head spin."

"That sounds like I challenge," Ruby responded, the corners of her mouth quirking.

Under normal circumstances, they would've just become friends, but in these circumstances, they weren't even sure of the species of one of them. It put a kink in the relationship. Instead of outright friendship, for now, they developed a mutual camaraderie, two blonde shock absorbers of Winchester spite who found some degree of solace on a porch that wasn't their own.

"By the way," Ruby began suddenly, "it's totally obvious that you're madly in love with Dean."

Jo sagged. "We were kind of having a moment there, Ruby."

"You probably want to have lots of moments. With Dean."

"Oh, so this is why they hate you."

"Contempt, honey. Merely contempt," she clarified. "And if it makes you feel any better, he was almost the one out here comforting you."

"Really?" Jo asked hopefully.

"_Ha_! You_ are_ in love with him!"

Jo rolled her eyes. "You're unbelievable."

"Contemptible, honey. Merely contemptible."

They smiled to themselves.

* * *

><p>Thanks for readingreviewing!

Fun fact: Originally, it was Sam who almost came out to comfort Jo. But then I remembered this was a Dean/Jo story, so I switched them, because it made more sense that way. As a Sam!girl, having less Sam is kind of uncomfortable. But I deal.


	5. Romantic Tension

No rights to Supernatural.

* * *

><p>Things weren't what the gang would call normal. But normal or not, there were still people out there who were in danger. The hero complexes in the household did not rest due to the uncomfortable living situation. The group went over the details of a nearby case with the wheelchair-bound uncle of the bunch before heading out. They were crowded around the desk in the study, Bobby with his legs wheeled beneath it like how it was supposed to be sat at, the Winchesters across from him with their arms crossed stoically, Ruby sitting on one corner, and Jo leaning on her hands on the opposite edge.<p>

"Vampire witches?" Sam repeated. "Is that even possible?"

"I see no reason why not," Bobby replied. "Ain't no reason I can see why a vampire can't dabble in a little more evil than they already are."

"Is that possible, Ruby?" Sam asked.

Dean glared at him.

He turned up one hand at his expression, as if it was ridiculous that he should be upset. "She was a witch! She could know."

"There are more reliable sources," Dean pointed out.

"It's possible," Ruby replied, ignoring him.

Bobby spoke again. "The biggest thing that differentiates humans and vampires is the whole bloodlust kink. I don't see why that could stop someone from partaking in evil arts, especially without a conscious to begin with."

"Do vampires have consciousness?" Sam asked.

"Hard to say," Bubby shrugged.

"Of course they don't," Dean said. "That's what makes a human."

"Not all humans have a proper conscious," Jo pointed out, daring to look him in the face for the first time all day. "What about serial killers who get a kick out of doing bad things?"

"I have a conscious," Ruby put out there, holding up a finger to call attention to her, "and I'm not human."

"Yeah, but who knows what you are," Jo smirked slightly.

"What, besides a liar?" Dean asked, still making eye contact with Jo.

"Can we keep the peace, please?" she requested, not breaking the gaze.

"Hey, sweetheart, don't talk like you own the place."

"What? Is wanting everyone to get along a crime now?"

"You should've thought of that before you waltzed into this house."

"Where else was I supposed to go?" she challenged.

"Not my problem, baby."

"If I hadn't made a deal and that creature hadn't done its thing, you would've been elated to see me show up your doorstep!"

"I find that hard to believe," Dean responded, keeping his voice at normal volume, but more attitude coming out with every syllable.

"And I find you unbelievable!" Jo shot back. "How could you let hate just consume you like this? How could—"

"Guys?" Sam cut in hesitantly. "Can we do this later?"

"Tell that to her," Dean gestured his head in Jo's direction.

"You're serious?" Jo exclaimed, eyebrows shooting upward. "You seriously think I started this?"

"You know what I seriously think?" Ruby chimed in, obviously annoyed, and she continued before Dean could pronounce how much he didn't actually care. "I think we should all stow away our precious little feelings and go tear up a nest of Harry Vampotters. Who's with me?"

"Yeah, let's go," Sam agreed as Dean and Jo finally broke their gazes away from each other. It was as if they'd let out a breath they weren't aware they were holding in. "You coming, Bobby?"

"Oh, yeah, I'm sure this lair has a handicapped ramp," Bobby responded flatly, rolling backwards in his wheelchair for emphasis.

"Okay, so Bobby's out," Dean noted.

"You coming, Ruby?" Sam asked.

"What? No! No, she's not!" Dean cried.

"Sure I am," Ruby contradicted, hopping lightly off the table. "I kill a _mean_ vampire."

"Yes, I'm sure your skill set is fabulous, but—"

"Please, don't try and talk me out of this, Dean," she told him. "I'm a former witch. I know how their minds work."

"Somehow, that doesn't comfort me."

Ruby crossed her arms and stared him down.

Dean rolled his eyes. "Fine! But for your experience, not because I like you at all."

"Thanks, babe," Ruby sneered. "Come on, Peace Prize. Let's go decapitate us some evil things."

As Jo was dreading the fact that the nickname might stick, Dean, expectedly, chimed in with his disapproval.

"What? No. This one stays."

"You ever notice how often you disapprove of the right decisions?" Ruby, without looking back at him, asked Bobby, "How big is this lair again Bobby?"

"About forty vamps, as far as I can tell," he replied.

"Forty," Ruby repeated. "That's about ten for each of us if we all go, and even that could prove a challenge, especially with their dark forces gunning for us. So Jo goes."

Jo started slightly at the sound of her name. It was the first time Ruby had used it as opposed to "sweetheart" or "Peace Prize." Something told her she should relish to moment.

Dean pursed his lips. He knew she was right, but he had admitted she was right too much for one day.

Now, Sam was there to do it for him. "She's right," Sam told him ironically.

"Whatever," Dean grumbled before he trudged toward the door.

"Shotgun!" Ruby jeered cheerily after him

"_No!"_

She giggled.

* * *

><p>Dean drove the Impala and Sam was in the passenger seat. Ruby was in the seat behind Dean and would frequently kick his chair "accidentally" or move her hand slowly in his peripheral vision as to distract him for his driving. (<em>Ruby, I'm trying to watch the road! Is this another plot to kill us? – This is for not giving me shotgun! And I never tried to kill you!) <em>Jo was behind Sam, so she could see Dean's side. They could make eye contact if he turned his head a fraction.

"Ugh, what is this music?" Ruby groaned.

"Brilliant, that's what," Dean snapped back at her.

"This is your idea of brilliant? It's a train wreck."

"Yeah, if train wrecks were _brilliant_."

Jo wasn't paying too close attention to their bickering. She was too consumed by her own thoughts.

Ruby had opted for her to be brought along on the vamp hunt, which she appreciated. She was glad that Dean had even allowed her to, even though she seriously didn't rely on his permission. But no one had asked her if she wanted to. She was a hunter. This is what she did.

Usually, she was eager to hunt, even fearless about it. Hunting had never made her nervous, but now she was on edge? She thought it might have something to do with her near-death experience, but in a hunting lifestyle, one had plenty of those.

It was probably her mom, she realized. Seeing her mom victimized by the hunt had finally gotten through to her what her mom had been attempting to for years. Her mom so dead set against her hunting, even though she joined the party eventually, but that was solely to protect Jo. Being away from her daughter, not knowing if she was safe all day, every day, had nearly driven her inane, so she tracked Jo down, and they embraced hunting together. And Jo had often been irritated by the tagalong. She often wondered fleetingly how Sam and Dean handled this much family time. _I can take care of myself_! It wasn't true, of course. Forces were at work in her life to keep her safe, not just her own power, but she wanted her mom to realize how she was okay, that hunting didn't intimidate her.

But now it did. And what it took was killing off the person who wanted her to know that.

She would probably want to deal with her mom's death at some point. She kept shoving it aside for the issues at hand. She did so again now, but this time she didn't bother telling herself that this was the last time she would.

Suddenly, she realized someone was speaking to her.

"What?" she started, searching for who had spoken.

"You okay over there?" Ruby said, and her tone and the fact the Dean was glancing in her direction with a hint of either concern or curiosity hinted that she'd said this multiple times already.

"Wonderful," she replied dryly, putting a finger to her temple.

"Is it the car smell? I know. When was the last time they washed this thing, honestly?"

Dean looked slightly taken aback, as if the thought of washing the Impala was entirely new to him, as if his glorious car didn't just repel grime.

"I hadn't noticed," Jo replied honestly.

"Really? I find it disgusting."

"Well, feel free to hop out of it anytime, honey," Dean offered.

Ruby smiled to herself. It seemed giving Dean a hard time pleased her.

Suddenly, she leaned closer to Jo. "Seriously, are you okay?" she asked quietly.

Jo nodded, her hand still against her head. "Just a little anxious."

"Anxious?" Dean repeated. "You've been hunting plenty."

"She almost died last time, genius," Ruby snapped at him, "and her mom was taken out."

Jo didn't know how to feel about someone of some mystery species knowing her so well.

"And now you're scared?" Dean wondered aloud.

"No, I'm not scared," Jo reassured him honestly. "It's just . . ."

She looked around the vehicle, first the back of Sam's head, then the angle of Dean's face, then at Ruby. She decided she meant Ruby as well when she said, "I don't want anyone else I care about to die on my watch."

Dean didn't look at her. He gripped the steering wheel tighter and shifted in his seat. She could see Sam doing the Sam. An awkward moment might have descended on them if not for Ruby's convenient presence.

"You care about me?" she grinned her signature broad, sarcastic, exaggerated grin. "That's sweet of you. Maybe we can braid each other's hair later. Or braid Sam's hair." She reached her right arm out as if to start her work on Sam's thick hair immediately, and he swatted her hand away, trying not to chuckle. Ruby wasn't so ashamed and was a giggling madly, seeming to enjoy herself.

Admiration struck Jo. Ruby was so happy. She could live so easily even with being pelted by so much dislike. She lived her life not caring what others thought about who or what she was and didn't let it stop her from trying to establish relationships or improve someone else's life who wouldn't even thank her for it.

As that thought struck Jo, she quickly uttered, "Thank you."

"Me?" Ruby pointed at herself. "For what?"

"Just…for not letting me feel alone. For sticking up for me."

It sounded like Jo was the playground nerd and Ruby was the uncharacteristically sweet football player who came to aid just as the bullies were about to swipe her glasses.

As reply, Ruby smiled, and not one of her overstated, satirical grins. This smile was genuine, an actual _you're welcome_.

Jo really hoped Ruby wasn't a demon, because she wasn't about to start looking up to one. _She's not_, Jo decided firmly. _Not her._

And of course, she ruined the touching moment they were having with, "After we braid Sam's hair, we can girl chat about how in love with Dean you are."

The car swerved under Dean's steering control and the rider were flung two different ways before the car steadied. Ruby was cackling as it repositioned itself.

"Thanks for that," Jo grumbled through the strands of wavy hair that had been strewn across her face. She was actually kind of happy about that part, considering her face must have been inflamed.

"Another thank you? Geez, people really appreciate me today." Her sarcastic smile returned. "You Winchesters should try it."

Jo pushed her hair up and out of her face once her blushing had gone down. The first thing she noticed was Dean staring at her. She was going to analyze his expression, try and sort out what he was thinking or feeling, but after she swept her hand across her eyes to get some more hair out of the way, he was focused on the road again, expression hard and calculating, like his focus was on the case and that was that. But perhaps he was gripping the wheel a little tighter than before.

"And if that near-death experience we just had hints at anything, I think Dean might love you back."

With the next swerve the car took, it was a shock they weren't all tossed out the window, even with the seat belts.

"Shut up back there, Ruby," Dean snarled as the car steadied a second time.

"Maybe my whole hate theory was off after all," Ruby pressed, accompanied as usual by her smile, not believing her own words, but knowing they were provoking. "Maybe it was just suppressed love this whole time."

"Ruby, is this really the time?"

"There's always time for love."

"_Ruby_, there is a knife in my boot."

"That won't kill me," she pointed out smugly. "Can we pull over for a minute? The romantic tension in here is making the car all stuffy."

Suddenly, Dean slammed on the brakes and the car thrust the riders forward. After they'd slammed back into their seats, Jo, with her less straightforward brand of sarcasm, said, "Dean, I think she was being facetious."

But blistering romantic tension wasn't what Dean had stopped the car for. He leaned down, snatched the pocket knife out of his boot, spun around in his seat, and thrust the blade in Ruby's thigh. Jo instinctively recoiled from the violent act, expecting a shriek of pain or flailing limbs. But, as should've been expected, Ruby just laughed some more.

"Get your emotions in check, Incredible Hulk," Ruby suggested, yanking the knife out from her thigh. "Save it for the magic vamps."

Dean glared at her for a few more moments, and then seized the knife back from Ruby's hand. He repositioned himself in his seat and they were driving again.

Ruby gave Jo a sideways look. Just low enough for her to hear, she muttered, "Oddly defensive, isn't he?"

Jo looked back at her with a hard expression. _Great_, she thought. _More things to ponder during the road trip._

* * *

><p>She didn't have to ponder things she didn't wish to for very long.<p>

For a half hour or so, the car was pretty much silent except for Dean's classic rock soundtrack. The next words spoken were by Sam.

"This is it," he said.

They pulled up to an audacioius mansion with white paneling and an outrageous number of windows. They could have easily fit twenty Bobby houses into it.

"It doesn't seem like a den of evil," Sam noted.

"It seems pretty ideal, actually," Jo said, gazing up at it. "It's out of the way, so no nosy neighbors, but close enough to civilization to get new victims every once in a while, and you could easily fit a whole held of vamp witches into that thing. As long as they keep the bills paid, I doubt any normal person would suspect a thing."

"Nice deduction skills, Peace Prize," Ruby noted.

"Alright, then," Dean began. "Let's get the stuff out of the trunk and slay us so vamps."

The group clambored out of the car, and wound their way to crowd around the trunk full of weapons. Sam handed out scythes and machetes to the group.

"Okay, here's the plan," Sam began, turning from the trunk. They formed a circle around him to listen and ended up in an unintended huddle. "It's daylight, so they shouldn't know that we're here just yet. Two of us take the first floor, the other two take the second."

"Right," Dean agreed. "You girls better not run this whole mission to the ground."

"Dean," Sam said hesitantly, as if walkingon eggshells, "we're not on the same time."

"What? You can't honestly expect me to buddy up with one of these two," he waved his machete at the two girls.

"Were you listening in the car, Dean?" Sam asked. "Jo . . . she's not in tip-top hunting condition."

Dean and Ruby turned to examine her and she looked at the ground shamefully.

"Why is that my problem?" Dean wonder aloud.

"Because if she cracks during this case, we might not be able to handle the loss. There's basically a vamp army in there with magic working for them. There's probably also some victims we should usher out of there. We don't have much time to drag Jo out of there if she gets hurt."

"I don't need a babysitter," Jo said defiantly, but her uneasiness hadn't settled.

"It's precautionary, Jo," Sam assured her. "I may have been programmed to hate you, but I'm still me, and I don't want you to get hurt on my watch."

Jo couldn't do much to suppress her smile. So Sam hadn't changed much after all.

Dean started up again. "Why can't Ruby be on her team?"

"Do you trust Ruby now?"

"Oh, well, you have a point there," Dean gave him. "Why can't you look after Jo?"

"That would leave you on Ruby's team," Sam pointed out. "I think you'd kill each other before we got out of there."

"Oh, please," Ruby scoffed. "I could take him."

"Fine," Dean huffed. "Jo and I take the top floor."

Ruby gave a Jo and pointed look and smirked. Jo did her best to ignore it.


	6. Hunting Skills

No rights to Supernatural.

* * *

><p>Ruby skittered from the group, eager to be on the hunt. Any doubts about her story that she'd been hunting in her absence vanished. She was clearly stoked to be on the hunt. Sam, from his great height, seemed to be smiling after her as she scuttled away, much to Dean's chagrin. Jo was almost certain they'd survive this. Ruby was too dedicated and Sam was too large. (How did his skin contain all of him? His muscular body and his massive height? It was insane.) Her, on the other hand? Admittedly, she was the slightest bit unstable, but she wanted to look strong, show Dean she was someone worth trusting. Actually, she <em>was <em>strong and she _could _be trusted, but apparently and friendly and pleasant history wasn't enough to build a reputation these days.

"Ready, Jo?" Dean asked, slamming the trunk closed.

Jo's gaze flipped up to his. She relished the times he said her actual name as opposed to "her" or "them," like when he was referring to both her and Ruby. She had a similar reaction to when Ruby said her name, but this was different. With Ruby, she appreciated the replacement of patronizing nicknames. With Dean, it was a familiarity thing, like they were on their way to becoming friends again.

"Doesn't matter," she replied. "Let's go."

There mansion was in a forest, so it was easy to find a tree that was a decent distance from the window. The tree they decided was most useful was near the right wall of the house. It was rough, probably an oak, and had a good amount of branches up near the top by the window, but not many near the ground.

"Looks like I'm going to have to lift you up," Dean decided.

Jo looked up fondly at Dean. He still didn't like her, that was for sure, but he was putting that aside for the hunt. Other people's lives were at stake, and he was going to put aside his personal feelings to save some citizens. Even if it were Ruby in this situation with him, who he trusted about as much as he trusted politicians and vampires themselves, he might've stowed those feelings away if it meant saving lives.

"How will you get up there?" Jo asked.

"I hope you've been lifting your weights, honey," he responded. With that, he clasped his hands together and bent low to the ground. Taking the cue, Jo positioned her foot in the net formed by his finger and he thrust her body upwards. She was able to fling her arms around a supportive branch and, with same help from Dean, pulled herself up until she was straddling the branch.

"Alright, now help me up," he requested, waving his hands toward himself in a _come on_ motion.

This was the hard part. Jo flung her legs behind her so her stomach was on the branch and hooked her feet into some clumps of leaves to balance herself. Then, she stretched out her arms for Dean. He took them and dug his foot into the branch for leverage.

"Now, pull," he barked.

Jo obeyed and starting heaving, straining against Dean's weight. Her efforts were almost ineffective.

"Come on, Jo, this is the easy part," he grimaced against Jo's grip. "We haven't even started the actual case yet."

"I'm trying," she moaned, pulling harder, gripping tighter. He rose a few inches, but dropped back toward the earth again. Gripping even tighter, she started again. He went higher, and the pain in her arm increased.

"The goal's to lift me up, not squeeze my hands off."

Jo's muscles strained against gravity and Dean's wrist started to slip from her hands.

"Come on, Jo! You can do this." Dean encouraged gruffly.

But she didn't. With a snap, the tangled mass of branches and leaves holding her feet in place snapped and she went toppling forward. Dean, in turn, began tumbling backward, and he fell with a thud against the grass. Jo fell after him, and an _oof! _escaped him as she hurtled onto him. Her chin collided with his, and her teeth rattled.

Dean rubbed his chin for a moment, and then brought his gaze up to hers. "Hunting extraordinaire, you are," he smirked.

"You said yourself we haven't started the case yet," she pointed out, the knife in her pocket biting against her hip, and probably Dean's as well. Good things her machete wouldn't fit in her front pocket. That could've left a mark.

"Well, if you couldn't—. " Dean stopped, and his light smile faded as he took in the situation of the situation and the extra-personal Jo-on-him contact that was taking place.

"Let's go find, Sam," he suggested gruffly at Jo's face, taking her shoulders and guiding her gently off of him.

Jo allowed herself to be ushered off of him. He was capable of shoving her off, but she didn't. That was something. She pushed herself off the ground, picked up Dean's fallen machete that he had forgotten to collect himself, and followed him toward the back entrance of the house where Sam and Ruby were supposed to be preparing themselves. Dean informed Sam of the situation, who to his credit, tried not to laugh.

The three of them made their way back to the tree, Ruby trailing behind them. Sam hoisted Jo up first, then, with a little more difficulty, launched Dean up to the treetops.

"Okay, here's the plan," Dean bellowed to the group. "Sam and Ruby stomp in first and start hacking away at as many vampire heads as you can see. Hopefully, the majority of them will rush to the back entrance to see what the fuss is about. After a while, Jo and I are to break through this window amidst all the chaos, kill any stragglers, gather any captives, and then come down and help with the hacking until everyone who gets a kick out of drinking blood in this place is headless. We got it?"

The group nodded in agreement, and Sam and Ruby started to head back to their post. Jo and Dean fixed their gazes on the window in front of them, blacked out to avoid the sun that bothered the vampires so much.

"Hey, Sammy," Dean suddenly called out to him after he was several yards away. Sam spun around, his thick brown hair swishing around his features as he did. Ruby, who had gone ahead of him, stopped and turned as well. "You be careful, okay?"

Sam nodded. "You too."

Jo was too far away to hear it, but she saw Ruby sneer and say something about that extremely touching exchange that made Sam "accidentally" ram his shoulder into her as he ran past.

"You be careful, too, okay?" Dean said.

Jo didn't respond for a moment, and then realized there weren't many other people Dean could have been referring to.

"Me?" Jo asked for reassurance.

"Yeah, who else?"

"I didn't think you cared about what happened to me so much," Jo said.

"Well, I don't want you bringing down the whole ambush," he explained weakly.

"Oh!" Jo suddenly cried. She held out Dean's machete. "You left this on the ground after I fell on top of you.

Dean took it gingerly. "Uh . . . thanks. I'm not sure why I didn't notice that."

Jo gave him a tight smile, and then turned her attention back to the window. She sighed deeply, trying to steady herself and put herself into the proper hunting headspace.

Dean noticed. He looked up at her a few times, but finally worked up enough nerve to say, "This broken state that you're in because of your mom's death? You can use it to your advantage."

"What?"

"Every negative emotion you're feelings right now: channel it and unleash on those things in there," he advised. "The anger, the hurt, the pain; release it all. Give it to them to deal with."

"Dean, I'm not as revenge-driven as you are," Jo shook her head, a little sadness in her voice at the rehashing of the feelings. "All the negativity I'm feeling is unwelcome. I'm not about to utilize it."

"It's for a good cause."

"And if it consumes me, then what?" Jo inquired. "I unleash all my anger in there, I could get used to it, start to embrace it. I might never deal with it."

"So what? Are you just gonna give up and let yourself get killed? Not that I'd mind so much, but still."

"No," Jo said. "I don't fight with feelings, Dean. I fight with skill and the desire to do good. I don't plan to use my negative emotions to my advantage. I plan to deal with them, and then continue honing my skills."

Dean raised his eyebrows contemplatively. "Interesting," he said.

"You should try it," Jo suggested.

"Wait, are you saying I'm not a skilled hunter?" Dean frowned.

"No, no! I mean, not letting your emotions rule you. The whole pseudo-hate thing you have towards me, for instance."

"As if I could control that."

"Didn't you hear Ruby this morning? Something about being able to hate anyone if you remember the right things. It's controllable."

"Yeah, as if I'm going to take life lessons from the likes of her," Dean said, gaze still fixed on the window.

"There's another example," Jo pointed out, shifting her gaze for a clearer view through all the leaves. "Your anger at that girl pretending to be Ruby is clouding your opinion of this Ruby."

"Can we talk about this later?" Dean demanded in a tone that implied that he did not want to talk about the misguidedness of his feelings ever at all. "I'm trying to listen for commotion."

Jo shrugged, then refocused on the window, listening intently.

"Oh, and one more thing," Dean added. "I know I'm supposed to look after you, but honestly, I don't actually care whether you survive this or not. I'm not here to babysit you. Don't look to me for help, you understand? _I don't care whether you live or die_."

Ouch. Way to put it gently.

"Fine," Jo replied tightly.

Soon enough, they faintly heard a distinct crashing sound. Sam had probably just kicked the door down.

"Alright, get ready," Dean said after a few minutes, enough time for the situation to be understand by the opposition. He crouched low on his branch. Jo braced herself as well, readjusting her grip on her scythe, her machete stuck precariously in the hip of her pants.

"On three," Dean began. "One . . ."

Crashes and commotion sounded front inside. Jo heard Sam grunt; from pain or exertion she couldn't be sure.

"Two . . ."

There was a great number of footsteps resounding from inside, stampeding downstairs, circling the floor in confusion. The amount made Jo uneasy, and she wasn't exactly ready for Dean to reach . . .

"Three!"

Jo reared back her scythe and smashed the blade through the window. She then crunched it against the glass still hanging from the edges of the hole, the launched herself threw the opening, holding her weapon far out to her right so it wouldn't harm her. She made it through the gap and landed on her stomach, with Dean landing beside her in a similar position shortly after. They pushed themselves off the ground and took a fighting stance, their weapons reared back.

There were about ten vampires still on the top floor, at least in the room they were in. The room was spacious with hardwood floors and some human bodies strewn about it. The stairs were visible at the end of the room, and half the vampires seemed about to descend them upon Dean and Jo's entrance. The rest were groggy and trying to fight off sleep.

"Come and get it, bloodsuckers!" Dean challenged, and many obliged.

The oldest-looking charged first, aiming for Dean, and was freed of his head all too easily. That's when they started to swarm.

The first one that came at Jo was a brunette that looked about her age. She raised her scythe across her chest, then swung. The brunette's head flew across the room.

Jo smiled to herself. She still had it in her.

She kicked the next comer in the chest first before bring the scythe to its neck. In the same motion, she stuck one in the temple. She was able to force it out, spin in over her head a couple times, and then bring it back around to take her third victim's head off.

Her grin broadened as she thought how happy her mother would be about this.

Things got harder after those first few kills. The vamps got smarter, started coming at her in organized group, started using the stupid magic of theirs. But for the most part, she kept them at bay.

At one point, after she ran out of vamps to slay, she looked to her right to find Dean caught in a chokehold several feet away from her. His teeth were inches away from Dean's neck. Jo quickly retrieved the machete from her pants, letting the scythe take its place there, and charged the monster. She couldn't get a good aim on his neck without taking off Dean's head as well, so she jammed the weapon into his forehead and twisted hard to the left. The force got the vampire off of Dean and it fell to the floor, grasping at the machete stuck in his brain. Dean barely took a moment to collect himself before he was kneeling beside the monster, bringing his own machete down to end its life. The head came off with a satisfying gushing sound.

Jo placed one knee on the now lifeless head to hold it down as she yanked the knife out, which got blood all over her jeans.

"Nice job," Dean complimented fleetingly as she stood.

"You, too," she replied just as briefly. "Let's grab any surviving humans and then go help Sam and Ruby."

"Hey, you're not the one giving orders here."

"Shut up," Jo snapped. "Let's go."

They turned to look for survivors, but stopped in their tracks.

More vampires must have come back upstairs, about half as much as were there originally, but still more than Dean and Jo would've liked to deal with.

"Go downstairs and look for humans, help Sam and Ruby, then take everyone back outside," Jo told Dean softly. "Let me handle these and meet you by the car. If I'm not out there in five minutes, leave without me." As if he needed to be told that.

Dean clearly resented taking suggestions for her, but he nodded nonetheless. "Okay. Fine."

Jo ran to one corner of the room as far away from Dean as she could manage and started knocking valuable, witchy-looking things over. The group responded to the provocation and they all charged after her. Dean was able to slip away unnoticed.

Jo took the scythe out of her pants, so she had a weapon in each hand. Two out of charged her, zigzagging in attempt to confuse her. However, they were of similar height, so Jo merely ducked slightly, swung her scythe through air. Both of their heads came off in the same rotation.

A pale redhead girl grabbed at Jo's arm, surprising her into dropping the scythe, and went in to bite it, her head bent low so she didn't have a clear shot at her neck. Jo thunked the back of her head with the machete, then pushed the pair of them to the ground beneath the damaged window. The vampire gasped in discomfort under the sunlight. In her distraction, Jo was able to straddle her stomach and slide her weapon across her neck.

Before she could take in that victory, two vampires each took one of her arms. She tried to spin the machete around in her hand so she could stab the right one in the stomach, but she dropped it in the effort.

_Oh, no_, she thought.

She strained and pulled against oppressors, tried to kick at them, but to no avail. They stood her up and spun her around to face another vampire blocking her view of the stairs. He had a shiny, black mustache, an equally black trench coat, and an arrogant demeanor.

"Stop struggling," he ordered with a menacing smile. "How dare you hunters charge in here and toy with my nurturing environment here."

"Oh, yeah," Jo spat. "The dead and dying bodies really set the mood."

"We all have different tastes," the vampire shrugged. "By the looks of that awful outfit you're wearing, you prefer grunge, quaintness, and familiarity, whereas I prefer Persian rugs, warm hues, and quick access to food when I so desire."

"So are you going to eat me or use my blood as paint for one of your warm-hued walls?" Jo said fiercely.

"Neither. I actually plan to kill you. Leaving a hunter alive in my own household, even for a short while, is so obviously unsafe."

Then, the vampire raised one hand and closed his eyes, as if focusing very precisely on something. A discomfort welled inside Jo that began in her stomach, then swelled to her chest. Her chest constricted and she suddenly found breathing difficult.

_He's using magic on me_, she realized, but she didn't let the terror flood her. Instead, she replaced it with determination and continued struggling against the vampires holding her.

It was just as effective as it was the first time. They maintained their grip. Jo's throat became tight. Her abdomen heaved.

She glared at the vamp-witch, but the look was lost on him. His eyes were closed, focused on killing her.

And, for the second time that week, Jo resigned herself into accepting her own death.

The pain in her chest increased so much she wanted to scream, but her lungs and throat wouldn't let the sound of her. This sent her body into frenzy. This time, when she flailed against oppressors, it was partly her fighting and partly unintended spasms.

Her vision fogged. Her body became limper, but she forced herself to keep looking up at the man trying to kill her. In case he opened his eyes, she wanted him to see her face when she died, wanted him to know that even if she accepted her death now, that didn't mean she was going to go down giving up.

She focused on his head. His head became foggier and foggier as time went by. In her now unreliable vision, it seemed to move around, multiply like an image in a kaleidoscope, and then come off completely.

Wait . . .

His head came off.

Like a splash of cold water, the pain fled Jo's body and she took in a massive gasp of air. The grips on her arms had loosened and she rammed her elbows back into their chests. She dove for her scythe with a new determination that gave her the quickness and edge to take their heads off within a few seconds.

She was breathing heavily as the heads fell around her, as if her lungs were swallowing every intake of breath with a new appreciation. She looked up at where her supposed-to-be murder once stood. Instead was his headless body in a heap on the floor. Behind that body stood a human one, arms still holding the machete across his body as if he just got done decapitating the vampire seconds ago.

Dean was breathing heavily too as he stared at Jo. His expression was almost confused, like he didn't know what he just did.

But Jo knew, and the thought confused her as well.

Did Dean just decide to save her life?

* * *

><p>I hope you enjoyed the chapter! I super-appreciate reviews!<p>

Speaking of feedback, would you mind giving me some specific feedback? Should I develop Sam and Ruby's relationship into a more-than-friends kind of deal? Keep in mind, I may disregard your opinion entirely, but I'd like to know what you think. :) And you can also say whatever you want about the story. I do appreciate compliments and criticism.

Thanks for reading, sweethearts!


	7. Hiding Heads

FYI, I realize the amount of typos my chapters tend to have. ...I haven't fixed a bunch of them, though. Maybe I will later. But maybe not.

Thanks for your reviews! I do appreciate them dearly.

No rights to Supernatural.

* * *

><p>Dean and Jo barreled down the stairs to aid Sam and Ruby, keeping a measured distance from each other. That was mostly Dean's doing. He seemed ashamed of what he'd done, which was preposterous, because it was quite an honorable thing to do.<p>

But when they arrived downstairs, they saw Ruby standing amidst a heap of headless bodies gripping her scythe, with Sam standing a ways behind her, almost still in the doorway, looking impressed.

"Whoa," Jo commented. "She really has been hunting."

"Yeah, no kidding," Sam chortled.

"All in a day's work," Ruby smiled, twirling her scythe at her side.

"Don't be smug," Dean said.

"Don't be ungrateful," Ruby shot back. "Come on, let's find survivors."

The gang started bending over bodies that still had heads. Sam was particularly good at this, speaking in soothing tones to the victims. He was a people person, that Sam. _Hey, hey, you alright? Come on, let's get you out of here. Let's get you home._

Dean was more forward and urgent. _Hey, get up (some degrading nickname relating to the victim's appearance.) We're getting out of here._

Ruby was a nice median of the two, being urgent, but still charismatically sweet. _Hey, you awake in there? Good news, my blood-spattered friend: You're being rescued. Now let's go._

Jo felt kind of lackluster as she dealt with her find.

As one man shifted around, eyes fluttering to look up at her, she simply utter, "Hey. Wanna live, or . . .?"

"Aren't you a charmer," Ruby called, overhearing her.

"You just made a blonde joke to a girl that was hemorrhaging," Jo pointed out as she pulled the man to his feet.

"Yeah, so?"

"You're blonde, too."

"There was blood in her eyes. She might not have been able to tell."

Jo chortled. Gah, she loved Ruby. Provided that she wasn't a demon.

Speaking of people Jo may or may not love, Dean came up just then, supporting a weak-looking brunette whose shirt was drenched in blood nearly ripped to shreds. Of course he picked her.

"Okay, victims, in a circle," Dean called, and the group led their finds to a huddle. There were four surviving victims, two guys and two girls, all young and reasonably attractive. Jo was a little flattered that one had tried to kill her, even if it had more to do with the threat she posed. "Here's what's supposed to happen. If any of you knows your way home, tell Sam, and let him drive you there. You can trust us."

None of them seemed to question it.

"If there are any serious injuries and you want immediate treatment, then he can also drive you to the hospital."

No one seemed to need that. These were probably the people that the vampires wanted to turn instead of drain. Or train in sorcery. Or whatever.

"You'd let them get blood on the seats?" Sam asked quizzically.

Dean seemed to rethink his decision. "Their blood is dry for the most part," he decided. "It's okay."

"Me and the girls can stay here and dump the bodies and their detachable counterparts, remove evidence of our time here, and take all magic-looking objects somewhere where they can cause less harm," Dean explained.

Ruby and Jo didn't argue, not that they felt they would get any credit for that.

The group helped the victims to the Impala. Jo noticed Dean wincing as the filthy people made contact with his seats, but he got past it. Soon enough, Sam was performing taxi driver duty, heading off toward the horizon.

"Let's get started," Dean clapped in hands together, then turned and barreled past the girls into the house.

"And how come you can complain about taking orders?" Jo grumbled.

"I am the man of the house," he explained simply.

Jo and Ruby rolled their eyes, then followed Dean inside.

"Let's dive into this heads first," Ruby began. "How about I wait outside, and any heads you find on the second floor, you throw them out to me? . . . Get it . . . heads first?"

"Yeah, you slay me," Dean said monotonously. "Come on, Jo."

Jo obediently trotted after Dean up the stairs and began gather dismembered domes, scooping them up in her arms.

"Does this seem a bit cryptic to you?" she asked as she grabbed one by the hair.

"Extremely," he replied, closing the lids on a brunette so she would stop eyeballing him. When he had all he could comfortably carry, he gestured his head to the right. "Come on, there's a front window this way."

Dean, with his arms full, nudged at a door to a bedroom, which was kind of showy in a vampire household. There was a window on the far wall, painted black. Dean was clumsily able to push it open, and there was Ruby below them, hands on her hips, looking impatient.

"Bombs away!" Dean called to her, and he unloaded part of his bundle toward her.

"Hey!" she exclaimed as heads fell about her, scrambling to catch as many as she could. "Only a few at a time, idiot! I'm supposed to carry these things to a ditch."

"And where did you find a ditch?"

"The vamps hide their drained victims inside of them. There's plenty out back. That's why this place smells worse than your car does."

Dean rolled his eyes. "Call up when you wants more heads."

"Sure thing," she said, gathering heads off the ground. Dean slid to a sitting position on the wall beside the window, laying the rest of his hands on the ground. At Jo's confused expression, he said, "Might as well just wait for her call."

Jo shrugged acceptingly and sat down across from him, letting her heads rest around her and letting her own thump against the wall as she slid her eyes closed. She suddenly realized how tired she was.

"Hunting's hard," she noted.

"Yup," Dean agreed.

"But I like it."

"Me, too," Dean concurred. "Life-saving doesn't seem to be getting old."

"Speaking of," Jo raised her head and opened her eyes, "thanks for saving mine."

"Don't mention it."

"No, seriously," Jo continued. "You didn't have to do that. I told you not to. I mean, you expressed how much you didn't care about my life."

Dean shrugged. "Maybe that was exaggerated."

"What do you—"

"Hey! New heads down here!" Ruby called from below.

Jo picked up three heads, one at a time, and rocketed them out the window.

"Nice arm," she heard. "I'm guessing that was Jo."

"You know it," Jo called back.

She turned her attention back to Dean. "Now, what do you mean 'exaggerated?'"

"I don't have to explain myself to you," he hardened.

"Do you . . . do you not hate me anymore?" Jo pressed.

"What do you care?"

"This kind of relates to me directly, Dean."

"Drop it," he snapped.

"_Dean_ . . ."

"Okay, look," he began. "When I said I didn't care if you lived or died, I meant it. At least, I was pretty freaking sure I did. I don't know what it was. Something compelled me to un-damsel-in-distress you before you got killed."

"Hey, I un-damsel-ed you, too," Jo pointed out.

"Maybe that was it," he shrugged. "Maybe I felt like I owed you. Seeing you hunt again . . . I mean, it brought back memories. And not the ones that make me want to rip out your prostate."

"Women . . . don't have . . ."

"I remembering liking you back when we hunted together," he cut her off. "We had some good times, you and me. I don't know why I just remembered that now . . ."

"Those memories were repressed," she told him, "and the bad times were emphasized instead, remember?"

Dean shrugged.

"_Heads, please_!"

Dean pelted some of his to Ruby, then leaned back against the wall.

"You know, I don't hate you," Jo began.

"How could you? I'm a charmer."

Jo smiled, looking down at one of her heads to try and conceal it. "I don't hate you, Dean, but I could if I wanted it. You weren't Mr. Nice Guy to me one-hundred percent of the time."

"Not like you didn't deserve that . . ." he said, but he said it with less spiteful zeal then before, which made Jo's smile broaden. She pursed her lips together for further concealment.

They went through a serious of making and avoiding eye contact until Ruby called for a new batch.

"For what it's worth," Jo began after throwing some heads out, "I still don't hate you. I don't know if I ever could."

Dean's gaze flipped up and met hers, but this time, he held it. "Can't say the same for you, sweetheart."

"And that hurts!" Jo snapped at him. "Do you know how much I've done for you?"

"Refresh my memory."

"_Die_," she pronounced pointedly.

"You didn't die, obviously."

"Well, I came pretty close," she crossed her arms.

"That wasn't for me. That was for the mission."

"If we didn't explode that place, those things probably would've clawed you up, too. There goes you guys and the mission. Thanks for the gratitude."

Dean seemed to legitimately think about this, as if considering this for the first time. Jo waited patiently for the breakthrough, the moment where Dean would realize that she was something worth liking and maybe they could run into each other arms and share a lovely, Nicholas Sparks type of reunion.

His eyes seemed to search the ground, as if the answer would be there among the discarded vampire craniums. Jo had time to get her hopes up, to take the twinkle in Dean's eye as realization, or at least progress.

Jo was almost sure she saw it. There seemed to be something there that got past the negativity that the mystery monster coated his memories of her with. She was waited eagerly for him to vocalize.

Dean looked up and made eye contact with her . . .

Just as Ruby cut in with a hefty shout of, "_Give me liberty, or give me heads_."


	8. Overcoming Odium

No rights to Supernatural.

I appreciate every review.

And also, I love you.

* * *

><p>Sam returned to pick up the crew, another case solved and done with and vamps properly thrown into ditches. They loaded all the mega-evil sorcery stuff into the trunk, then Dean promptly shooed Sam out of the driver's seat, lamented his blood-stained seats, and sat himself down, only adding more blood. Sam, Jo, and Ruby did similarly, getting blood on their own respective seats.<p>

No one spoke to each other except for Ruby giving Dean a hard time.

When they arrived home, Bobby was waiting for them with a book in his lap.

"You're getting your bloody footprints all over my floors!" Bobby exclaimed.

"Jealous?" Dean asked.

Bobby glared. "If we're done making fun of the cripple, I have some news." He wheeled around in his chair and led the group to his desk, plopping his book onto it with a _thunk_.

"I've been doing research on the conditions we're under here," Bobby explained. "It looks like Ruby's right. Something's messing with us."

"And you questioned me?" Ruby feigned offense, sitting on the corner of the desk.

"What is it?" Dean asked, ignoring her.

"It looks like an Odi," he revealed. "There isn't much about it in the books, but from what I gather, it's game is hatred."

"Wow. Genius," Ruby droned.

"Would you let me finish? Odis get their kicks adding contempt or hatred to relationships. They thrive on the chaos they cause. They eat, like normal people, but they thrive off chaos."

"Do they just go around with a syringe full of hatred?" Sam asked.

"They mess around in your head," Bobby clarified. "You have the same memories, but some of them you start remembering more than others and you might look at them with a new negativity."

"How do they feed?" Jo asked.

"Huh?"

"The Odi. How is she thriving off our internal conflict?"

"She?" Dean repeated.

"Yeah, it was in the form of a woman. The Odi that showed up to me."

"So they take human form?" Bobby asked. "Geez, you could've revealed that before I did all the research."

Jo gave him a pointed look.

"Sorry," Bobby apologized. Knowing he was under the influence of something else, he didn't want to be a victim to it. Also, he was nice when he tried to be. "Anyway, I'm not sure how exactly an Odi feeds. What I do gather is that it's supposed to be close by to its victims, both those infected with the hate and the original victim. It feeds off their feelings of isolation, too."

"Wait, so it could be feeding on all of us?" Dean asked. "And we're all hoped up here together, just waiting to be eaten?"

"I'm don't think it actually _eats _us—"

"Geez, Ruby!" Dean suddenly turned to her. "Dandy idea holing us all up here together. We're a freaking buffet!"

"It was still a good idea, Dean," Ruby said through her teeth. "We can protect each other since we're all here."

"Don't defend yourself, blondie. You've made us targets. This was probably your plan all along!"

"Dean," Sam cut in, "I don't think—"

"Hey!" Ruby interrupted, yelling at Dean. "I'm actually working inconveniently hard trying to protect you people. Would some appreciation hurt?"

"Yes, actually. It would probably kill us."

"You are such a—"

"Hey, people!" Jo cut in loudly. They all turned to face her. "Is this really a big deal?"

"The fact that Ruby stuck a monster on our backs that could be watching us right now?" Dean asked.

"Does it matter?" Jo continued. "I mean, if it's true, and it's been feeding at our feelings the whole time, we can handle that. We've handled worse. Now that we know for sure that the hate is planted, couldn't you guys just . . . stop? Or at least try?"

No one answered, which was disappointing.

Jo walked up to Bobby. "You're already being nicer to me," she pointed out. She turned to Sam. "During the hunt, you cared whether or not I died." Finally, to Dean, she said, "And you . . . well, you know."

Dean looked away from her as he recalled saving her life.

"Do I get bonus points for being nice the whole time?" Ruby lifted a finger.

"Sure," Jo conceded.

"_Yes_," she fistpumped.

"Guys, I care about all of you and I never want to hurt you," Jo announced to everyone. "Can you think about that instead of whatever is going through your mind about me right now, and then we can get on with our lives?"

Her gaze swept over the boys as she waited for a reply.

Bobby responded first. "Sounds like a plan," he shrugged. "With a mother like yours, you can't be all bad, can you?"

"I agree," Sam smirked. "I mean, you've proved yourself enough. We can get past this."

They turned to Dean, who cringed under the group's stares.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," he answered hastily. "We should probably still kill it, though."

Jo raised an eyebrow. The rest of the group frowned with her.

"The _Odi_!" he clarified, "not Jo, people!"

Jo sighed, smiling, and she thought she saw Dean smirk back at her for a second.

"Now if you'll excuse me," Dean straightened up and rolled his shoulders, "I'd like to get some shut-eye. I've been awake for about thirty-six hours."

Most of the rest of the group agreed heartily.

"Actually, boys and girls," Bobby reacted, "we only have two beds and a couch around these parts."

"We've got plenty of floor, though," Dean pointed out. "Bobby takes one bedroom because he's old and we should be nice to him, Sam takes the couch, Ruby and Jo share one because their girls and they can do that without feeling weird, and I take the floor somewhere or another."

Jo smiled to herself and at Dean's progress. He let her have a bed instead of the floor. How gentlemanly.

* * *

><p>Soon enough, their sleeping arrangement was spread out. Jo took the bed and Ruby just sat on floor beside it, concealed from view from doorway so anyone who passed by wouldn't see her.<p>

"I don't sleep much," she confessed to Jo when she questioned it, reminding her that she might not be human, and the Ruby was ashamed of it.

Jo didn't think about it much. She was too tired. In the seconds before she went under, her thoughts were happy. Today was definitely a step in the right direction. Maybe, soon, she could actually pick up things we're she left off with her friends, with Dean.

She'd been asleep for what felt like a few minutes when she heard the door to the room creak open. Light flooded into her room and fell across her face.

She moaned in protest, shutting her eyes tighter and pulling up the covers.

She heard footsteps creaking up toward her. They became louder, closer, then paused when she felt like they were near her.

Jo's eyes fluttered open as she prepared to file her complaint against whoever had awaken her.

It was Dean. He was standing over.

With a knife poised above her body, ready to strike. To kill.


	9. Hate Crime

No rights to Supernatural.

* * *

><p>Dean was lying on the floor as comfortably as he could when it happened.<p>

There he was, nuzzled into some old blanket attempting to cushion the wooden ground. Just before it set on, he was actually thinking positively about Jo. For example, _Jo looked really good in those jeans, _or _Jo saved my life today,_ or even, _We kissed the other day, didn't we? It was actually kind of nice. _

But then, something shot through his stomach, burning and painful.

Hot, fiery hatred ran through him, fierce and fresh. Suddenly, every memory of Jo Harvelle was something he'd rather forget, something he'd rather burn out of his mind, mistakes he'd rather fix.

He recalled earlier that day, in the afternoon, he'd started to like Jo again, feel that naïve bond toward her that he used to. It was foolish. Jo didn't matter to him. Jo was a waste of space, a fact he only recalled now for whatever reason.

The hatred in him was so intense, that only one option stood out to him or made any sense at all.

He had to kill Jo.

* * *

><p>Jo could've taken him. Really, she could have, even as she was unarmed and Dean had what appeared to be a very dangerous-looking knife. However, she had a false sense of security going on, and she was quite groggy, so she barely had the presence of mind to do anything but watch the knife come down toward her.<p>

And, for the third time that week, she accepted the fact that she would die. It was becoming a regular thing for her.

But as she cringed away from the blade, still trying to force her tiredness away so maybe she had a chance, a hand caught the attacker by the wrist.

Jo tried furiously to blink away her grogginess to focus on what was happening.

It was Ruby who'd caught Dean's hand before it struck her, throwing herself onto the bed to grip the falling hand.

_I don't sleep much, _Jo recalled. Ruby didn't have any grogginess to fend off right now.

But now they both had Dean.

Dean wrenched his hand away, and the fight began.

Ruby climbed over the bed, an obstacle separating her from him. Dean held the knife at the ready as she approached, then steadied himself as he anticipated attack.

Ruby lifted her foot and it slammed into Dean's chest. He _oof_ed, but regained composure quickly and charged Ruby with his weapon. She caught his wrist again, but this time, Dean kept pushing. Ruby ended up trying to force him away with both hands.

"This isn't about you," Dean grunted as they struggled. "Let me at Jo."

"Sorry, partner," Ruby replied, and her tone barely implied that her life was at risk, besides the slight breathlessness of it, "we haven't even painted each other's toenails yet."

At this point, Jo was back in business. She threw off her blankets and came to aid Ruby in restraining Dean. She took Dean by the shoulders and kneed him in the stomach. He grunted, and his hand flew down to his abdomen. Jo quickly snatched his arm as Ruby grabbed his other, the one with the knife, and straightened them out. Having seized his arms, they charged the wall together and held him there as he kicked and squirmed.

It took the both of them sweating and straining, but they were able to hold him.

"What's the matter, Dean?" Ruby snarled into his face. "I thought you and Peace Prize's relationships were progressing smoothly."

"No," he snapped defensively, refusing to make eye contact with Jo, "I hate her."

Ruby and Jo exchanged confused looks.

"He seemed okay with me yesterday," Jo told her, still wrestling Dean's arm. "Do you think he was faking so he could come in for the kill?"

"He's not that good of an actor," Ruby shook her head. "He must have been shot with a new dose of Odi hate."

"They can do that?" Jo exclaimed. "I didn't make any new deals, though!"

"Maybe you only have to make one deal, and then the thing can interfere with your relationships for the rest of your life," Ruby suggested. "Maybe Bobby can—hey, wait." Ruby took a long look at the weapon in Dean's hand. "Is that _my knife_?"

Suddenly, the door to the bedroom burst open and Sam's hulking figure stood there, fuming.

"I guess the Odi dosed all of them," Jo said dejectedly.

"I can't believe you! _You took my knife_!" Ruby continued, apparently upset.

"Handle Dean, will you?" Jo requested.

"I get Sam!" Ruby demanded. She looked at Jo and explained, "He was supposed to give me my knife back."

Jo didn't question Ruby's attachment to the weapon. She busied herself with continuing to restrain Dean as she prepared articulate explanation as to why it was unreasonable that her hate her.

However, restraining Dean as a one-woman team was nearly impossible, and when Dean able to kick her away from him and regain fighting stance, they ended up in hand-to-hand combat again.

"Dean!" Jo cried as she dodged a swing of the knife. "Listen to me! What you're feeling isn't real."

"Sure feels real," he argued, stabbing uncomfortably close to Jo's ear.

"Okay, maybe it is real," she admitted as she dodged, "but it's planted. These are conclusions you didn't come to, Dean. A load of negativity dumped into your memories of me."

To Dean, everything being said by the women he hated was pointless and annoying and should be silenced immediately. No use making sense of them. They didn't matter.

Which, considering Jo's points, made sense.

Dean paused. "Why should I believe you?"

"We had a conversation hours ago with Bobby, Dean!" Jo was speaking urgently. She hoped Dean could still understand her. "Odi. They're doing this to you. We've gone over this, Dean. It's tedious at this point."

Dean swung the knife at her a little mechanically, ruled by his emotions. In retaliation, Jo bent her arm and rammed into Dean's throat, pushing him back pinning him to the wall again. This time, he dropped the knife, which was reassuring.

"Listen to me," Jo pressed after she kicked the knife away. "We just went over this, Dean. Jeesh, we just had a freaking moment. Look at my fighting skills, Dean. Hunting prowess ringing any bells? I'm a hunter and you like me, got it?"

Dean just glared at her. What a terribly closed mind he possessed. He took hold of Jo's waist and prepared to thrust her away from him, get a clear shot back at the knife.

"_Dean_, _stop_!" a voice called from behind Jo.

Jo, not removing her arm from Dean's neck, turned her neck. Sam was on his back with Ruby straddling his stomach, the gun he'd toted to the room flung aside. Ruby breathed heavily, which was expected, since restraining such a large person probably took a superb amount of effort on a girl's part.

"Sam, I think Jo's telling the truth."

Of course, Jo thought. This process would probably work better. Ruby would talk sense into Sam, and Sam was just about the only person hard-headed Dean would accept any sense from.

"Did _she _tell you that?" Dean accused.

"Have you noticed I'm on a streak of being right, Dean?" Ruby panted. "At some point, you could start believing me."

"Please, Dean," Jo pleaded, turning back to him. "Come on, you _know _me. You have no plausible reason to hate me."

"You held a rifle at my—"

"At your back, I know. You've tried that before. Would you hate Sam if he did that?"

_I can't believe I didn't think of this before_, Jo cheered in her mind. The brother card was almost surefire. Sam and Dean were close, kind of unhealthily close. They'd forgive more from each other and they'd get upset easier with each other.

"No, of course not, but he's _Sam_."

"Yeah," Jo agreed, "and I was a bartender you'd never met. If a stranger did that, would you hate them?"

" . . . I suppose not."

"Dean, Ruby told me," Sam explained. "It's the Odi talking, not us."

"Dean, please," Jo pleaded, looking him in the eyes. "Come on."

Dean held the gaze for a long while. Jo tried to read the expression. He looked conflicted.

But eventually, he dropped his hands from Jo's waist. She'd forgotten they were there.

"_Victory_!" Ruby cheered, throwing her arms in the air. "Well, there's still Bobby, but we could probably just tip his wheelchair over he charged you."

Jo lowered her arm from Dean's neck, and both their bodies sagged with fatigue.

"I . . ." Dean panted, gazing at Jo, "I'm sorry."

"It's fine," Jo waved him off and she stumbled back to the bed. "I'd probably have done the same."

"I thought you said you could never hate me," Dean pointed out slightly facetiously.

"I believe I said I didn't _think _I could ever hate you or something," she corrected as she collapsed onto the mattress.

"Well, I'm really sorry," Dean repeated.

"Me, too," Sam said as he got to a sitting position.

"Forgiven," Jo assured them, "but please try not to kill me in the morning."

"Now," Ruby began, lifting her leg off of Sam, "can we talk about why you conniving thieves still have my knife?"


	10. Love Conquers

Don't tell my other fics, but this one if my favorite :).

There's some degree of cheese of this chapter. The verse is from Proverbs 10:12.

No rights to Supernatural.

* * *

><p>Talking Bobby out of his hate-fest the next morning was rather easy. He couldn't throw punches very well from a wheelchair and, since he's the one who found out all the stuff about Odi hate, he was open to what Jo had to say about the matter.<p>

"That makes me a tad uncomfortable," Bobby complained that morning, "knowing that creatures can just go poking around in my feelings."

"Same here," Sam concurred from the table he was reclining at beside Dean.

"I have a question," Jo said from the couch beside Ruby. "Why isn't Ruby being affected?"

"What do you mean?" Ruby prompted.

"For both doses, you didn't seem to feel any animosity toward me," Jo pointed out.

"Probably because she's not human," Dean shrugged.

"She might be," Jo said.

Sam frowned. "Huh?"

"Well . . . she doesn't seem very demonic."

"Thanks, sweetheart," Ruby grinned.

"You don't seem very human, but hey," Dean gestured at her.

Jo glared.

"Right, I don't hate you, or whatever," Dean rolled his eyes.

"I kind of do," Sam said quietly.

Jo groaned loudly and flopped her head down onto her knees.

"Look, I know what you two told me," Sam began, "and it makes sense. I believe you, I really do, but that doesn't change the fact that I _feel _hate towards you. I look at you, and hate just goes through me. I feel _terrible_."

Jo lifted her head. "What about you, Dean?"

Jo looked her loftily, but agreed, "Yeah. Yes, I still hate you."

Jo bit her tongue to keep from screaming at all of them. "_Fabulous_," she said through her teeth. She bolted from the couch, "I think I'll take a walk."

"I'll come with you," Ruby offered. "I don't want you jumping off a bridge since no one likes you."

"Thanks."

"Don't worry, Jesus loves you!" Ruby grinned broadly. How un-demonic of her.

"That's the spirit," Bobby droned.

Just as Ruby and Jo left, one of Dean's cell phones started going off. He retrieved from his pocket, checked the caller I.D., and then quickly put it to his ear.

"Cas?"

"_Hello, Dean_."

"What's wrong?"

"_Come behind the house_. _Come alone._"

Then nothing.

Dean took a moment to resent Cas's social skills, then stuffed the phone back into his pocket.

"I think I'll take a walk, too," Dean said, standing up.

Dean took the back entrance out of the house, which opened to unkempt grass and trees. In the distance, an elusive figure stood, waiting.

"Cas, the angel on my shoulder himself!" Dean called out to the figure. "What's with the cryptic messages?"

"I come bearing news," he says, as monotonously earnest as ever.

"Where have you been?" Dean questioned. "Are you aware of how much has been going on over here?"

"I've had bigger beef to fry, Dean."

"No, Cas, it's bigger _fish _to fry."

"No, Dean, it's merely a figure of speech. I'm not actually frying any meat products."

Dean rolled his eyes. "Nevermind, what's your big news?"

"There's an Odi in the area," Cas warned.

Dean ran a hand through his hair. "Old news, buddy. Believe me, we're aware."

"Its primary target seems to be your friend, Joanna Harvelle."

"I assumed that. Any other life-altering news?"

"I don't appreciate your tone," Cas frowned. Not that he usually smiled, but his frown intensified a bit. "I thought maybe you'd like to know that whatever you're feeling toward Joanna now is planted."

"That's what she keeps telling us," Dean said, "but . . . it feels real."

"It is real," Cas assured him. "It just wasn't put there by you."

"How do I get rid of it?" Dean asked, because it suddenly seemed vastly important that he should know.

"You work through it until you get past the bitterness within you, within all of you who've been affected."

"Working through feelings?" Dean said skeptically. "Not really my strong suit."

"Oh, yes," Cas seemed to disapprove, "you hunters prefer violence."

Dean shrugged shamelessly.

"You could kill the Odi the Jo made the deal with," Cas revealed. "If that happens, any emotion she put within you should disappear."

"Awesome. Could you tell me where it is?"

"Close by," Cas told him. "It's feeding off the chaos coming from her manipulation. If you all stay close together, you should be able to coax her out or spot her."

Like Ruby suggested, Dean thought. Maybe she was smarter than she looked.

Dean then thought, _Why do I want to get rid of it_?

"I don't understand how these powers work," Dean told Cas with a scowl. "If I hate Jo so much, why am I wanting to go through much trouble to stop hating her? Why am I open to things she suggests? Why do I still notice how good jeans look on her?"

Cas held his gaze. "Because, Dean, the Odi only entranced you with new hate. Anything you felt before – camaraderie, friendship, preconceived hate, desire,_ love_ –it didn't take any of that out of you."

Dean's expression was inscrutable. "How inconvenient."

"If I may say something, Dean," Cas began, "if you do love her—"

"Whoa, Cas," Dean held up a hand to shush him. "We are not girls at a slumber party. We don't talk about our feelings with each other."

"Then let me speak generally, then," Cas requested. "Dean, _Hatred stirs up dissension, but love conquers over all wrongs_."

"That's cheesy, even for you," Dean criticized. "Especially for you."

"It's a newer translation of a Bible verse, Dean."

"Your angel is showing," Dean poked fun.

"What I'm trying to say," Cas continued, "is if you love this girl, then you can get past this without having to kill a person."

"A person?"

"Yes, Odis are genetic mutations conjured up in from either a witch or a mad scientist. I'm not sure which. They're very rare."

"So we're up against an X-Woman?"

"Dean, I'm trying to make a point," Cas pressed. "Love can be stronger than hate, and if you utilize it, you might be able to get past whatever you feel toward her now, whatever it is that's trying to turn you and your brother against each other. You can work through this."

"Who is it?" Dean asked. "Who is it that's going after hunters?"

"Odi after Odi is messing with hunters' lives recently," Cas explained. "They're catching at times when they're near death, bringing them back, then watching them suffer, kill themselves off, all while getting a high off the misery they helped create. You and Sam are a primary targets. You wreak a lot of havoc. Jo's situation was a rare opportunity to mess up your lives."

"Why are they uprising all of the sudden?"

"The feel oppressed and mistreated," Cas continued. "Since they're fundamentally human, they don't believe they deserve to be hunted."

"I beg to differ," Dean grumbled.

"Yes, I hope you do," Cas nodded. Now, if you'll excuse me . . ."

There was a small breeze as Cas vanished.

At some point, Dean thought, someone should teach that frustrating angel the exact art of saying goodbye.


	11. Clothing Store Conflict

In case your ever lacking in fanfiction, my interest in Ruby and Jo's friendship has contributed to another fanfiction, if you'd like to check it out. There's some Dean/Jo, too. Ya know. If yo wanna.

It's been on my mind how Ruby and Jo haven't changed clothes in a while.

No rights to Supernatural

* * *

><p>"I have an announcement," Ruby announced once she and Jo reached the house.<p>

The men of the household sitting around the kitchen table all groaned.

"Jerks."

"Just get on with it," Dean barked.

Ruby clapped her hands together. "One, you thieves still haven't given back mynife. Two, Jo and I have not changed clothes in a while."

This had come to their attention during their walk.

"Then change," Dean shrugged simply.

"My clothes are at my mom's place," Jo informed him from the couch. "I'm . . . not up for going back there just yet."

"Exactly," Ruby confirmed, "and my wardrobe is . . . meager. Incredibly sexy and looks fabulous on me, but meager."

"What are we supposed to do about it?" Sam frowned.

"We could wrap up in one of your massive flannels," Ruby suggested, "_or _you could give us the means to go shopping."

"Are you asking to borrow my money?" Bobby grimaced.

"Well, I said it in a more subtle way," Ruby pointed out.

"_No_!" Dean protested.

"Dean," Sam began sympathetically, "are we just going to parade them around naked?"

"I mean, with Jo he'd be okay with that, but what're you going to do about me?" Ruby teased.

Dean shot her a glare. "Why do they need to use our money?"

"My waitress funds are at home, too," Jo told him.

"Ever heard of a bank?" Sam asked.

"Checkbook's at home as well."

"Why don't you get over your emotional issues and stride in there?" Bobby recommended.

"I'm trying, buddy," Jo scowled.

"Guys, one outfit each won't kill us," Sam offered. "Besides, we don't want them all smelly."

Dean replied vehemently, "The answer is _no_!"

* * *

><p>Ruby and Jo piled into the Impala in preparation for their shopping spree.<p>

Dean's condition was that he must accompany them. Not for the pleasure of their company, but to make sure they didn't mess up / drive his car or spend the Winchester/Singer funds on something stupid.

"Shotgun!" Ruby called, but Jo scuttled around her and wrestled her way into the front seat.

"Hey! I had dibs!"

Jo stuck her tongue out at her. Begrudgingly, Ruby climbed into the back.

Dean slipped into the front seat, looking upset.

"Why the long face?" Jo teased.

"Shut up," Dean spat.

"Don't worry, Dean," she continued, "you can get yourself a little something special if you'd like."

He turned on the ignition as he said, "Shut your cheeky mouth."

Jo smirked as they pulled away from the house.

Dean drove them to a thrift store. Jo believed he thought "thrift" meant "cheap and low-quality," but it's not like he actually recognized the cuteness of the selection. At least she wouldn't break the bank.

"Alright, make this quick," Dean ordered as the entered the tiny place.

"Come on," Ruby beckoned excitedly, pulling Jo towards the first leather jacket that caught her eye, mercilessly dragging her away from some inviting jackets with extremely convenient pockets.

Dean followed them with crossed arms. Eventually, Ruby released Jo to browse the jackets with full use of both hands. Almost unconsciously, Jo leaned back towards Dean.

"Look at her go," she observed.

Dean hesitated, but replied. "She didn't really strike me as the shopping type."

"Are you serious?" Jo looked up at him. "Look at her. She's the sexy-on-a-budget type. She's obviously a fabulous shopper."

"Not you?"

"Nah," Jo shook her head, "I'm more into durability and convenience."

"Same here," Dean agreed.

He suddenly realized he was in a casual conversation with a woman he hated. Immediately after, he remembered what Cas had said about fighting it.

It couldn't hurt, could it?

"Can I talk to you about something?" Dean requested.

"You gonna pull Ruby's knife out on me again?"

"I left it with Sam," he assured her.

"Okay, shoot," she crossed her arms.

"I visited with my friend earlier today—"

"I heard my knife mentioned?" Ruby cut in, suddenly appearing in front of them.

"Go away, Ruby!" Dean demanded.

"My knife. What about it?"

"Please, Ruby?" Jo pleaded.

Ruby eyed them suspiciously, but slowly turned back to her jackets.

"Anyway," Dean continued, facing her again, "I visited with my friend who knows his way around the supernatural circuit, the Odi, for instance."

"Oh, yeah? What's the news?"

"That I have brand, spankin' new wells of hate for you thanks to it," he explain, "but . . ." he hesitated, the hate in him pushing the next part back. But he fought it. ". . .but he says that whatever would still be there for before is still there."

Jo stared up at him thoughtfully. "What's that mean?"

Dean shrugged.

"Wait, no," Jo uncrossed her arms. "Don't just drop a bombshell and . . ."

"Are romantic connections being made over here," Ruby popped out from under the clothing rack next to them.

Dean jumped. "Gah, Ruby!"

Jo was not willing to let this go. She grabbed Dean by the collar and dragged him into a fitting room beside the jacket racks. She leaned around him to bolt the lock door, hoping Ruby couldn't literally teleport places. If so, hopefully she had the decency not to do so into a fitting room.

Jo faced Dean again. "Now, explain."

"Why do you care so much what I think of you?"

"It's useful information. Now keep going. New hate, but you still have old feelings, correct?"

Dean put his hands on his hips as he looked down at her. "Yes."

"Why is that important?"

"It's a new breakthrough."

"Dean," Jo began intensely, "what were—what _are –_your old feelings?"

Dean ran a hand through his hair. "Not hate, that's for sure."

"Then _what_?" she pressed.

"Geez, Jo, why so curious about this?"

"You _know _why!" she exclaimed. "Don't tell me you don't know a desperate, lovesick girl when you see one."

"You're neither of those things, Jo."

"You're right, I'm not," Jo agreed. If lovesickness was a guy, she'd kick it in the face. "But even Sam figured it out. Of course you did. I . . . you know how I felt about you."

"Felt?"

"You know what's sad? It's _feel_," she continued. "I still feel that way about you. I still have enough self-respect to shoot you down if offered any pity feelings or one-night stands, but it's _obvious_ I still feel that way. You tried to kill me and I'm still here, Dean. You don't think I should be living on the street instead of in a household that hates my guts?

"I love Sam and I love Bobby, and Ruby's great, but she's not attached to this place. I could follow here wherever and she could tag along with me if I left if she wanted.

"Is it not blatantly obvious, Dean, that I'm here for _you_?"

Jo was breathing heavily by the time she finished. It suddenly came to her attention that she had been yelling. Ruby could probably hear every word, provided she wasn't too caught up in all her glorious pleather. (No way that leather stuff was real.)

Dean stared at Jo, his slack jaw probably making him look a little glazed over, but his mind was definitely spinning.

Maybe Dean didn't need to be all grunt-and-strain to fight off all of his spite and hatred, because with each of Jo's words, they chipped away at it successfully. Technically, Dean thought, a woman was fighting his battles for him.

There was still hate and rage and resentment there that the words weren't melting away effectively. Dean suddenly wanted it gone with a terrible, longing desire.

Before he'd fully formulated a concept, a plan, or successful reasoning when the aftermath of his deed would come, he grabbed Jo by the shoulders and kissed her.


	12. Loveknife

Your reviews are lovely, and thanks for 'em. I wouldn't complain if you left more ;).

No rights to Supernatural.

This chapter's pretty short, but when the final sentence was written, I wanted to leave it there.

So enjoy.

* * *

><p>Jo would be lying if she said she didn't kind of enjoy kissing Dean in an I'm-not-bleeding-my-guts-out environment. In fact, she'd be lying if she said it wasn't extremely super fantastical, or, you know, something less ridiculous.<p>

She brought up her arms slightly, expecting to bring them around Dean's neck, but then some sensible neurons fired in her brain, or whatever it is that happened up there. Instead, she laid them on his chest in what was an ineffectual, half-hearted attempt at shoving him off, something her muscles just didn't seem to want to do.

Jo bent her head away abruptly. "Stop," she said quietly.

Dean respected the request. He stood there, looking down at their shoes for a while, looking shameful and unashamed at the same time. Then, he dropped his hands from her and took a step away.

"Is this a regular thing with girls you hate?" Jo asked, not looking at him.

"No," he answered honestly. "Girls I barely know, maybe. Not girls I hate."

Jo chuckled humorlessly. She suddenly wished she was still outside so Ruby could cut in and prevent further conversation. She wasn't sure what to do now.

So she began saying whatever sprang to mind. "You're so not my type," she scowled.

"Huh?"

"Back when I was a bartender," she explained, "you're exactly the type of guy I would . . . well, I wouldn't do anything. I'd serve just like I'd serve anybody. Maybe I punch or two if they got rowdy."

"Good thing you're a hunter now, huh?" Dean offered. "You can more than punch things that irritate you."

"I haven't punched you recently," she pointed out.

"Not like you haven't in the past."

A smile grew quietly on Jo's features as she recalled how their very first conversation ended.

"We should . . . get back out there," Dean suggested, pointing uncomfortably over his shoulder at the bolted door.

"I guess," Jo accepted.

_We're not going to talk about this, are we_? Jo thought.

However, with Ruby around, maybe they would.

When they exited the fitting room, Ruby was standing directly in front of them. Her greeting, as she looked at the both of them, was, "Great balls of fire and heat and passion, you two totally just made out, didn't you?"

Jo sighed.

"Oh, _snap_."

Jo tried to divert her attentions. "Did you find a jacket?"

"Yes, Captain Subject-Change," she nodded. "You should get started on your shopping." She grabbed Jo by the wrist and dragged her toward some clothes before she could fully protest.

"What happened?" she demanded to know once safely behind some t-shirts.

"Nothing," Jo said defensively.

Ruby wasn't buying it. "You're lying through your recently-utilized tongue."

"No, it's _teeth_, Ruby."

"You used _teeth_, too?"

Jo groaned and turned away from her pointedly, busying herself in a rack of jeans.

Ruby scurried up behind her. "No shame in it, honeybunch. I could cut the romantic tension between you two with a loveknife."

Jo paused and looked up at her. "Loveknife?"

"Shakespeare made up words, so can I." Ruby shrugged. "Now, let's pretend we're in a normal situation and have full right to girl-chat. What happened?"

"Why do you care so much?" Jo winced.

"I'm your friend. And, you know, it's not like I have a love life. Isn't that why nerdy chicks read books? Aren't they living out their desired love lives in the relationships of fictional characters?"

"So, Dean and I are your steamy romance novel?"

"You're a page-turner, too. Couldn't ask for much sexier cover models," Ruby grinned. She rested one arm on the clothing rack. "So, what's up, buttercup?"

Jo sighed. "We kissed and talked and not much else."

Ruby slapped her on the arm. "Well, don't be so passive about it, hot stuff. He hated you this morning."

"Aren't love-hate relationships kind of a trendy now?" Jo said. "They usually don't mean anything."

"Don't downplay this, Jo," she discouraged. "This is obviously a massive deal. You do not kiss someone you feel pure, senseless loathing for that quickly."

"Maybe it's not senseless, and he's made peace with his feelings, and is now bored and wants some action."

"What did I just say about downplaying?" Ruby warned. "Look, you're hot. Not as hot as me, but still."

Jo shot her a disappointed look.

"Hey, that's not conceited. This isn't my body. That was complimentary if you think about it."

She scoffed and rolled her eyes, looking back towards the clothes.

"Why are you so hesitant to believe he actually likes you?" Ruby asked.

"Self-esteem issues," Jo nodded vigorously.

"Shut up. But really, why?"

Jo shrugged. "Dean likes a lot of other girls."

"Why would you assume that excludes you?"

"The hate thing is a barrier," she points out. "And, I don't know, I don't think I'm his type."

"Dean's type is female."

"Well, there's something!" Jo turned on her. "I mean, he hasn't hated me this whole time. We've known each other for years. He could've done _something _this whole time."

"He _did_!" Ruby countered, unfazed by Jo's sudden hostility. "He just _kissed_ you. If that's not making a move, then what is? And he's kissed you before, back when hate wasn't even an issue."

"How would you know that?" Jo frowned.

"I talk to Sam," she shrugged. "He's interested in you, Jo. Is that so unbelievable?"

"Sam is?"

"_Dean_, stupid," Ruby said. "Maybe not even hate could keep him from liking you."


	13. The Wedge

Thanks for reviews!

No rights to Supernatural.

* * *

><p>Ruby apparently has a thing for red and leather, or at least things that appear to be almost leather. After confronting Jo, she ends up with a bundle with a couple pants and shirts, and a vast array of jackets, most of which Dean demanded she put back because, "I'm not made of money!" Jo was more practical, picking out a cute jean jacket, a couple pairs of comfortably fitting jeans, and a couple t-shirts, a good hunter-sized wardrobe.<p>

At the register, Dean snatched up a CD off the discount rack on the counter and slides it toward the cashier. At Jo's puzzled look, he shrugged. "What? A guy can't do a little bargain hunting."

"REO Speedwagon," Jo reads aloud off the case.

"Yeah, so?"

Jo raised her eyebrows pointedly.

At first, Dean didn't understand, but after a few seconds of staring in befuddlement, the memory crashed into him like a ton of bricks.

"Oh, yeah . . ." he trailed wistfully, recalling a moment back at the long-gone roadhouse that had left him with an earworm that Sam had resented for a good portion of the car ride.

"I guess I got to you, then?" Jo smirked. "I convinced you of the greatness of—"

"How did I forget that?" Dean cut her off, bemused.

Jo sighed. "You didn't. Just stashed away because it's a memory that makes you appreciate me."

". . . huh," Dean huffed. "Well, maybe it was just the memory of you creeping in there. Now that I think about it," he stowed the CD back on the rack, "I don't even like them."

Jo's mouth dropped in horror.

* * *

><p>"We're home!" Ruby announced as she barged into Bobby's house again, bags slung over her shoulder.<p>

"This ain't none of you people's home," Bobby reminded the inhabitants, wheeling into the living room. "Please feel free to haul off whenever you see fit. Or sooner."

"Sorry, Bobby," Sam apologized, walking in after him. "Once we have the Jo-Ruby dynamic down, we should be out of your hair."

"You better."

"Love you too, Bobby," Jo smiled at him.

Bobby grimaced, but some far-off, unaffected-by-hate part of him probably returned the sentiment.

Jo and Ruby made their way to what had been unofficially dubbed their room and dropped the contents of their bags onto the bed.

"You're a terrible shopper," Ruby noted, taking in Jo's spoils.

"You have a predictable color scheme," Jo shot back.

"My name is Ruby. Of course I go for red things. It only makes sense."

In the living room, where Dean had collapsed on the couch, Sam took a seat next to him.

"How'd it go?" Sam asked, handing him a wrapped bacon cheeseburger.

"Not that bad, honestly," Dean admitted, eagerly chomping off a hunk of his favorite snack. Yes, snack. For a meal, there should be fries with it.

"Really? Did a catfight occur to help you appreciate the whole deal."

"Nah," Dean gave a small smile. "I think those two are besties at this point. Just like you two."

Sam huffed a chortle. "You know, the first time I got close to Ruby, you pointed a gun at her."

"I sure did," Dean nodded.

"You trust her now?"

"Blonde Ruby and Other Ruby seem to be two different entities entirely, and all her stories are lining up," Dean explained. "And Jo trusts her."

Sam turned to face him, a confused expression crossing his face. "You trust Jo?"

Dean hesitated. "I think we're supposed to, Sammy."

"Yeah, but we _don't_."

"That could be the—"

"Odi," Sam finished for him. "Does it strike you as odd that we've never heard of one before?"

"What are you implying, Sam?" Dean frowned. "Even Cas told me—"

"Cas?" Sam interrupted. "Castiel?"

"Yeah. He contacted me today to try and warn us about the Odi and Jo. Better late than never, I guess."

"How do we know Jo and Ruby haven't convinced Cas to lie for them?" Sam inquired.

Dean frowned up at his brother. "Wait, I thought you were all for trusting Ruby?"

"Believe me, I want to," Sam said. "I mean, before the demon blood and the demon powers and the demon everything, she was really . . . interesting. But don't you think it's convenient that we don't like Jo, than a supposedly dead woman we already didn't like comes in and convinces us to trust her?"

"We can trust, Jo, Sammy," Dean assured him casually, taking off another hunk of burger.

"What makes you so sure?"

"Since when do you have trust issues, Sammy?" Dean snapped.

"Since when do you _not_?" Sam snapped back.

"This is the Harvelles we're talking about," Dean said, frustration seeping into his tone. "If you'd rake through your memories a bit—all that stuff that seems to have slipped your mind—you'd probably remember that they're some of the only people who we have been able to trust in the past several years! And all of the sudden, we have anything less than complete and utter appreciation for them?"

Sam cocked his head to one side in a way Cas often did when he was puzzled. "Did something happen while you three were gone?"

Dean's hesitation answered for him.

"_Dean_, what were you _thinking_?"

"I was thinking that I was in a small, enclosed space with a hot girl. What do you expect me to do?" Dean replied, but his thought process had gone much deeper than that.

"I expect you to have a little bit of sense!" Sam exclaimed. "This is probably what Jo has been planning all along! Or something's controlling Jo or having Jo work for them. Remember? Even Ruby said Jo was supposed to be utilized against us, or something."

"If Ruby and Jo were plotting something, why would Ruby _warn _us about it?"

"Maybe she doesn't even know it. Maybe not even Jo does," Sam tried. "I don't have all the details, Dean, but you can't go making out with every hot girl you come in contact with."

"Jo's not just a hot girl, Sam! We can trusther if we can trust anyone!"

"I'm sorry, Dean, but that's just not the case! There's a plan—"

"Cas already told me the plan! It has to do with the Odi, not Jo's intentions."

"Maybe Cas wasn't—"

"_Boys_!" Bobby rolled up to them, a frustrated look on his face. "Would you stop your yapping and make up already? Can't you see whatever's doing the plotting, _this _is the plot. This is putting a wedge in between you two."

"But Bobby—"

"No, enough!" Bobby cut Sam off. "You are both adults. Let the other take care of themselves every once in a while."

"But—" Sam tried again.

"You can step in if things get too hairy," Bobby told him, "but from where I'm standing," he ignored Dean's snicker at the verbiage," those girls have done nothing but benefit us since they arrived on that doorstep, no matter how we feel about them."

"So what do we do?" Dean asked.

"Well, to help get things straight," Bobby said, "the obvious thing to do would be to get the Odi out of the picture."


	14. Conflicting Interests

No rights to Supernatural.

* * *

><p>Killing a super-mutated, mentally gifted pseudo-person was actually kind of challenging. Or maybe it wasn't. Bobby, huddled among the boys over his desk, couldn't find any information on how to do it, since the Odi research material was pretty thin. The group assumed the Colt and Ruby's knife, both of which were altered or retrieved by Ruby in some way or another.<p>

Dean twirled the knife in his hands. "You don't think this is magical, do you?"

"I doubt Ruby would allow it to exist if it was," a new voice chimed in. "She's quite anti-magic nowadays." The boys turned to see Jo enter the room sporting a fresh, well-fitting, white t-shirt and, as Dean happily noticed, form-fitting jeans.

Sam did not take her entrance so appreciatively, even with the new clothing selection. "Hi, Jo," he greeted monotonously.

"Um . . . hey."

"Ignore Jolly Ol' Sam over here," Dean advised. "What's the deal with knife and the gun if Ruby isn't into the mojo anymore?"

Jo shrugged. "Maybe it's the type of metal. Or the proper thrusting motion. But it's not magic, or anything else deemed controversial."

"Ruby never struck me as conservative," Dean noted.

"I know," another new voice chimed in, her voice carrying as she strutted past the group into the kitchen, "I'm just way too sexy for it to make sense."

"Hey, Ruby," Sam greeted much more warmly then he greeted Jo.

_Hypocrite_, Dean noted.

"What's everybody up to?" Jo asked, seeing the huddled men.

"You'd be informed if you were involved," Sam said gruffly.

Jo shot him a cold stare.

Ruby returned from the kitchen with a soda in hand. "What's going on?" she asked, popping the top with a satisfying fizz.

"Research on how to kill the Odi," Sam informed her.

_Well_, Jo thought sourly.

"What happened to being the nice brother?" Jo puckered.

Sam gave her a frustrated look that rarely crossed Sam's face, at least, not in the time Jo had been with him.

Jo groaned inwardly as a possible reason occurred to her.

Odi hate, obviously.

Jo looked to Dean for further signs of the hate epidemic, but he seemed rather placid as he regarded her. Nothing too evil seemed to be lacing up his feelers at the moment.

Dean noticed her pensive expression.

"Something wrong?" he asked concernedly.

"I'm not sure," Jo answered honestly. Before anyone could ask any more questions, she had turned and ambled back to the bedroom she and Ruby shared. She closed the door quietly behind her, and then put a finger to her lips thoughtfully.

A moment later, she heard the door open behind her. _Good_, she thought. Talking things out with Ruby should help her make sense of things.

When she turned, however, it was Dean looking down at her.

"Uh, hey," she acknowledged him in surprise.

"Hey," he nodded back, shutting the door behind his back like she had just done.

"You're not going to pull out R—"

"No, I'm not here to knife you," Dean assured her. "Have you noticed Sam behaving strangely in the past few hours?"

"He's been considerably less sweet," Jo agreed.

"So he's being meaner, whereas I . . . you know, kissed you."

Jo nodded. "Yes."

"That's kind of funky, don't you think?"

"Absolutely," Jo concurred, "but if I thought I could do something about Odi issues, don't you think I would have done so already?"

Dean sighed. "You think Bobby's starting to hate you again?"

"I don't know. I didn't really gauge him while I was out there."

"This isn't making much sense," Dean pondered, rubbing the back of his neck. "How could Sam hate you again when I don't?"

"Maybe you pushed past enough when you," she made her voice low and mocking, "_you know, kissed me_. Like Sleeping Beauty, except you're the Beauty and the Prince at the same time."

"Does that make you the Beast?"

"Wrong fairytale, Dean," Jo shook her head. "You disgrace the name of childhood."

"Hey, I was being trained to hunt as a child," he defended. "You started, what, three years ago?"

As Dean announced the timestamp, something behind his eyes seemed to clarify itself. The thought of Jo's first hunt seemed to clamber its way into his brain.

"Whoa," Dean said breathily, "you were so _annoying_."

Jo's face fell.

"Clear out all that negativity from the memory, and I think you'll find I was a sweetheart."

"You know what's weird," Dean said wistfully, "I'm not holding it against you. I like you too much."

Jo let out a small smile. "Well, thanks for that."

"Me getting over it," he began, "you really think it's because I kissed you?"

Jo shrugged. "I don't know what to think. Do you still hate me?"

Dean hesitated, as if psychoanalyzing his feelings. "Yeah. Some. But I like you, too."

"But still, hate?"

Dean nodded.

"Well, let's see what I can do about that."

"What do you—"

Dean could hate her again in the morning. In ten minutes. But he kinda-sorta didn't now, and after the thrift store display, she felt now was a decent time seize by the neck with both arms and pull his face down to hers.

At first, Dean didn't respond very noticeably. He didn't even go stock still or pull back an inch. He was just _there, _a prop in the situation_. _After a quick assessment of the situation, however, he got into it nicely.

His rigid body relaxed a bit, as if melting into her. He placed his hands gingerly on the small of her back, drawing deeper into her.

A small smile was able to spread on Jo's already occupied lips as she slid her hands around Dean's waist. A second later, Dean's lips formed one, too, as if the two were silently exchanging a clever inside joke.

Then the door burst open.

It bumped roughly against Dean's back, bopping him into Jo and abruptly putting a stop to their make out session. She stumbled back a bit on the impact, and Dean, a hand still on her back, was able to steady her before she could fall onto the bed.

Dean angled his head at the door to see the intruder.

"Hey, Dean," Sam greeted brusquely, giving the human entanglement a cold stare.

Dean dropped his arms, much to Jo's dissatisfaction, and started brushing off his shirt as if he'd gotten Jo germs on him. He didn't seem very upset about it, Jo noted happily.

"What do you want, Sam?" he asked just as brusquely.

"You left pretty suddenly," Sam pointed out, and Jo could feel the tension mounting. "I came to see what was up. Clearly you're alright."

"Yeah, I'm fine, Sammy," he assured him, defensiveness lacing his words. "Don't worry about me."

Sam's hard expression didn't falter. He pursed his lip once, then said, "Okay, then." He reached back for the door and closed it too politely for it not to mean something.

Jo stood there sheepishly once Sam had gone. She wanted to apologize profusely now. Getting in the way of Sam and Dean's relationship was a major mark against anyone who entered Sam and Dean's life. By her fault or not, it seemed that was exactly what she was doing.

Dean suddenly turned back to her, "Now, where were we?"

And the apologetic thoughts dissolved in her brain as she opted to just make out some more.

* * *

><p>I mean, even if it's criticism, you can seriously feel free to review...please? :)<p>

But thanks for the reviews you've already left! Quite lovely, you are.


	15. Unreliable Minds

No rights to Supernatural.

This was one of the hardest chapters for me to write. Not like emotionally or anything, but like, difficult. Harder than the having-Cas-explain-what's-going-on chapter.

Also, if I may advertise a certain DeanxJo one-shot entitled "The Jo I Know" . . . Sorry, but I worked pretty hard on that. I'd like it to be read.

Yeah, that wasn't cool of me, was it?

Enjoy this story, lovelies.

* * *

><p>"I don't understand," Ruby said. She, Sam, and Bobby were in an unintended circle in the living room, Jo and Dean doing who-knows-what off in the bedroom Ruby and Jo shared. "What difference does it make to you if Dean and Jo casually suck face?"<p>

"If it was casual, it might not be an issue," Sam replied. "It's not like that, though. Dean is starting to trust her again."

"Is that so bad?" Ruby frowned. "Has Jo proved to be anything but a massive sweetheart since she's been here?"

"She's got a point, son," Bobby agreed.

"I understand that Jo's been decent to us," Sam wrung his hands, "but there are still _so many_ reasons not to trust her."

"Like what?" Ruby prompted.

"When you showed up here, you revealed that she was probably part of this big plan to drive Dean and I apart, and now Dean is trusting her. You don't think that's a little strange?"

"I think Jo's pretty and Dean's Dean and there's not much more to it," Bobby shrugged.

"There _is_, though," Sam said, hands still flailing about the way they usually did when he spoke. With his great height and unusually muscle mass, he could probably break something by talking at it. "Look, I know my brother. And . . . and I don't know. With Jo, it's more than his usually one-and-done dynamic. I mean, he wouldn't turn such an opportunity down, but I think in the long-run he—"

"So Dean's found the one," Ruby cut him off, placing her hand on her hip. "I still don't see the issue."

Sam turned toward her and looked her in the eye, willing her to see his reasoning. "Look, Jo's a great girl. She is. But she's _dangerous _to us. You're the one who told us the bad guys could use her against us."

Ruby clapped her hands together. "Listen to me very closely, Sam. Whatever our arch rivals are planning, I seriously doubt it involves Jo shoving a knife into Dean's back while they're making out."

"I know," Sam sighed, "but—"

"You're biased right now, Sam," Ruby told him. "You hide it under your sweetie-pie exterior, but don't try to tell me you're not burning with animosity towards Little Miss right now."

Sam threw his hands up. "Yeah, maybe I am," he admitted. "Maybe that just makes me see the situation more clearly, though."

"That's not what hatred does to your judgment, Sam," Ruby scoffed.

"It's not what . . . attraction, or whatever . . . does to your judgment either," he pointed out.

"I've got a question," Bobby cut in, switching the topic abruptly. Even in a wheelchair, he demanded respect. "Scale of one to ten, Sam, how much do you want to rip out Jo's spleen right now?"

"Ten," he answered without hesitation.

Bobby nodded. "Alright, and I'm at . . . if I were not to think rationally about it, past all my feelings and mumbo jumbo . . . probably an eight. Dean, I'd say, is at about a two at the moment. And Ruby . . . ?"

"Zero," she shrugged, her status unchanged since she stepped onto the porch merely a few days ago.

"So our feelings are on different levels, correct?"

Sam and Ruby nodded tentatively.

"The Odi seems to be affecting each of us uniquely, then," Bobby informed them. "It might have actually been affecting Ruby this whole time."

Ruby shook her head. "I haven't felt a twinge."

"No, I mean, it might be _choosing _not to affect you," Bobby clarified.

Ruby chewed her lip as she thought that over. "Yeah, that makes sense," she nodded. "You Winchester boys are a dynamic duo of the hunting world, key word being _duo_. What better way than a pretty lady to help you drive the both of you apart?"

"Worked with you, didn't it?" Sam said.

"Shut up."

Sam smirked. "Don't worry. Brunette Ruby caused a bigger rift between us than you ever did."

Ruby lifted a finger. "Don't underestimate. If I wanted to manipulate you two into mindless resentment, I could do it with my hands tied."

"You're being a hypocrite, Sam," Bobby scoffed suddenly.

"I . . . beg your pardon?"

"You're babbling on about mistrusting Jo, and you're being all buddy-buddy with one of the sketchiest woman to ever cross your path?"

Ruby frowned, "Thanks, Bobby."

"I'm just saying."

"I'm reconsidering referring to you as 'Uncle Bobby' now."

"_Please_ reconsider," Bobby agreed.

"Bobby, I think Ruby has proven herself trustworthy," Sam said.

"Allow me to be Jo's Dean-in-shining-armor for a moment," Ruby began. "Jo almost _died _for one of you guys' missions, has dealt with Dean's finicky ways with women, and was _assaulted _by you."

"I was possessed!"

"Not the point!" Ruby exclaimed. "Get rid of this hatred, Sam! Because it's tearing you and your brother apart. Not Jo, not me, but w_hat's inside the both of you_."

Sam looked down on her, his expression stony. Ruby felt a little bad. She knew the Winchester consistently overdosed on guilt, but it was helpful when trying to get a point across.

Ruby went on. "You know hardly anything good happens when you and Dean aren't besties. I mean, as far as your personal lives go, hardly anything good happens accept for the lifesaving, but you get more of even that done together. The Odi, and whatever's working with it, probably have enough power to strike you down separately, because that's when both of you are weakest.

"Jo is the weapon against you, technically," she continued, "but, honestly, I thought by now that your love for your brother could overpower _your_ distrust of one girl."

Sam and Ruby stared each other down for a long time, Bobby glancing between them.

"Okay," Sam finally said, sounding a little constricted, "it makes sense, and maybe you're right. That doesn't change how I feel about her."

"You can totally work through that," Ruby assured him. "I mean, we've often blamed hi slack of retaliation on his handicapped state . . ."

"How sensitive of you," Bobby groaned.

" . . . but he's putting up a real effort. You don't see a hint of hate when he looks at Jo anymore."

Sam still seemed unsure. "Couldn't we just kill the Odi?"

Ruby rolled her eyes. "_Hunters_," she groaned.

"Hey, you're a hunter, too, now," Bobby pointed out.

"Fine," she accepted. She rolled her eyes again and mocked her earlier tone, "_Boys_."

"Actually," Bobby piped up, "I've been looking more into the Odi thing."

"You told us," Sam groaned. "We still don't know how to kill. We're hoping the knife does the trick."

"I found other stuff though, smart-mouth," Bobby snapped. "Other powers and characteristics the Odi has."

"Alright, shoot," Ruby said.

"For one, their eyes turn black, which I guess is a pretty common trait among the bad guys of the world. Also, they can invade people in their unconscious state, but if their dead, the connection goes blank. They can affect people's feelings and invade their unconscious mind if the Odi is responsive, but not necessarily conscious, so if we manage to get a stab at it, make sure it's really dead."

"Easier said than done, Uncle Bobby," Ruby said.

"What? No. Stop that. Don't' call me that."

She giggled.

"Anyway," Bobby continued, "these things, given their mutation and gene eccentricities, might have some brain damage. For instance, they may have memories that didn't really happen, or be creepily observant, or go haywire on random instances, which is probably way they use their powers for evil so much."

"Feed off chaos, black eyes, unconscious mayhem, unreliable minds," Ruby nodded. "Okey, dokey."

Dean and Jo, at this point, were sitting on the bed cross-legged, facing each other, and simply talking.

"And _that's _why Kansas has got nothing on REO," Jo concluded.

"You are _insane_," Dean decided.

"Wait, no, just listen!" Jo was smiling broadly, placing a hand on Dean's leg to shush him. "If we look at the lyrics comparatively—"

"Don't get me started on the lyrics, Jo," he grinned back, picking her hand of his leg and holding it in midair for noticeably longer than required. "Kansas obviously has been— you know what, you're not even listening to me."

"I am! But I can hardly hear over my awesome taste in music."

A breeze blew through Jo's hairs suddenly. She started, and the confusion that struck Dean's features indicated that he had felt it to. A moment later, it was softened by realization, as if he understood what just happened.

"What is it, Cas?" Dean asked begrudingly.

Jo glanced to her left and nearly fell off the bed. Castiel, the angel that had attempted to aid the mission she'd nearly died on, was standing their.

"Don't you have any poofing-into-bedrooms rules?" Jo frowned.

"No," Cas replied in utter serious.

"What is it, Cas?" Dean asked again.

"You are _all _in danger."


	16. Attack Mode

No rights to Supernatural

* * *

><p>"What else is new?" was Dean's response to Castiel's warning.<p>

"I'm serious, Dean," Cas emphasized. "The Odi. It's planning to strike."

"Hasn't it been striking a whole lot recently?" Jo droned.

"You people are not taking this seriously," Cas snarled.

"I think you're taking this seriously enough for all of us, Cas," Dean noted.

Cas began to approach him. "You have no idea what you're up against," he warned.

"I can handle mind games," Dean assured him.

"Can you?" Cas said doubtfully. "I seem to recall you attempting to kill Jo."

"How'd you know that?" Jo asked.

"That's generally not something you ask an angel," Dean informed her. "You probably don't want to know."

"Oh," Jo frowned. "Well, that's water under the bridge now."

"I admire your capacity for forgiveness," Cas commented, "but that doesn't change the example it makes of the Odi's manipulation. And it's planning a strike _as we speak._"

"How would you know what it's planning?" Dean asked.

Cas looked at him pointedly. "_That's generally not something you ask an angel_," he recited.

Dean stuck out his lip in a way that said _Yeah, I'll give you that one._

"If the Odi can encourage you to kill Jo, of all people, imagine what it could do when utilizing a _fraction_ more of its power at close range. Odi's are more powerful at close range, after all."

"We might skin her alive," Dean contemplated, and Jo scowled at him.

"You might hurt more than Jo," Cas said. "Have you noticed that you've been at different level of contempt towards her recently?"

Dean thought of Sam and nodded.

"It doesn't just use hate as a weapon," Cas explained further. "It can affect emotions all sorts of different ways. While Sam might hate Jo at the moment, you might, in fact, feel passionately in love with her."

Not that the socially awkward angel realized it, but a curtain discomfort suddenly dropped between Dean and Jo as they considered that perhaps their last few moments were products of completely synthetic attraction.

"Under the influence," Cas continued, "you might be willing to kill each other to get to Jo, or even kill each other to _protect_ Jo. Odi's have the potential to kill off entire hunter circles at a time, _especially _you people."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Dean pouted.

"It _means_," he replied, "that you people are driven by relationships and emotions to decide plans of action rather than logic and reasoning."

"What, loyalty's such a bad thing now?" Dean snapped defensively. "We can't _all _be angels."

"That's not my point," Cas said. "If you're going to kill the Odi, do it now, before you all kill each other."

As if on cue, the door was suddenly thrust open. Cas, who was standing in front of it, stumbled forward. Jo took a moment to not know how to feel about seeing a powerful angel stumble by force of a swinging door.

Then, she proceeded to turn her attentions elsewhere, because Sam was the one who had flung the door open, and he eyed Jo in a way that emphasized Cas's points about killing the Odi soon.

He charged after Jo, wielding Ruby's knife above his head. From Jo had heard, the thing was such a big deal because it could harm demons, but she supposed it would work as well on her, too.

Jo sprang off the bed and caught Sam's falling hand by the wrist. As she did, Ruby appeared in the doorway, looking as if she'd been running. Her bottom lip was torn.

"Did Sam do that?" Jo asked as she wrestled Sam's arm.

"Yeah," Ruby replied breathlessly, "trying to get at you."

Cas gave Dean a pointed look.

"It was so sudden," Ruby continued. "He just went into attack mode and started for this room. I tried to talk him down, but he punched me in the lip."

"He punched _you_?" Dean frowned.

Ruby nodded, "I know, right? Classless."

"I'm really happy you're okay and all," Jo grunted, "but could you give me hand."

"Oh, yeah," Ruby started. She scuttled up to the dueling pair and gripped one of Sam's impressive biceps. She yanked it back and tried to withhold it.

"Come on, Sam," Ruby said as she strained against the struggling arm. "You're the sweet brother!"

"Let go of me!" Sam snarled.

"If I have to explain this pseudo-hate concept one more time . . ." Jo grunted.

"You want to lend us some of your man-strength, Dean? Or talk him out of it? Or something?" Ruby hollered.

Dean started, as if snapped out of a delusion. "Uh, sure," he said. He approached the scrambling trio and looked straight into Sam's eyes. "Come on, Sam," he growled. "You punched Ruby? I mean, it's not like I haven't done it before, and sure, it's satisfying, but you've never even pinched her. I mean, maybe in the erotic sort of way but—"

"Huh?" Ruby interjected.

"Oh, sorry. That was the fake Ruby," Dean recalled.

Ruby gaped at the side of Sam's head. "You had a thing with _fake me_?" she exclaimed.

"That's beside the point," Cas cut in. He walked up to the group, pushing Dean aside.

"Sam," he began, "you're feeling many things now. The human emotional range can seem overpowering, but you should push it back for a while until you can kill the Odi. If you let it control you, you could hurt the people you love."

Sam looked at Cas in way that indicated that he had just realized he was there, as if Jo had taken up his entire focus.

"If you think very, very hard," Cas continued, "and attempted to remove the bias from your mind, you'd realize that all the things you're holding against Jo now are exaggerated, perhaps not even true. Jo is actually one of your closest allies."

"Sammy, listen to me," Dean said. "Just don't kill Jo until this Odi thing is dead. If the thing is dead, and you still think Jo should die, then kill her. You know what? I'll even help you kill her if that's the case."

Jo shot Dean an indignant look, but he seemed to be making an effort not to look at her.

"Ouch," Ruby muttered under her breath.

"Fine," Sam agreed. He wrenched his arms away from the girls, who let him go, "but if she makes a single move towards you, or towards body, I'll—"

"Your threats are wasting time," Cas interrupted. "I have places to be. The Odi that's attacking you is within a one-mile radius of this location. Find her, kill her, and this household should be, as you say, within the clear."

"It's '_in _the clear' actually," Ruby corrected, "but the concept was clear."

Cas cocked his head to the side in his curious expression. "You are not the same Ruby as the other one."

"I know," Ruby sulked. "Imitation is the sincerest form a flattery, I guess."

"I don't see how you two were confused as each other," Cas commented.

"They both got on my nerves. That probably helped," Dean said.

"Well, this form of Ruby can certainly have a grip on one's emotions," Cas said.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ruby scowled.

But Cas didn't answer. He yelled "_Go_!" urgently, and then with a fluttery breeze, disappeared.

"Was that supposed to be an insult or something?" Ruby pondered when he was gone.

"Not a concern right now," Dean told her. "We're going hunting."

"Yay!" Ruby clapped enthusiastically.

"Sam, go load up the car," Dean commanded.

Sam complied, and Jo inwardly hoped he wasn't so obedient because the quicker this thing was dead, the quicker he was allowed to attempt murder. He left, leaving Jo, Ruby, and Dean in the bedroom.

"Do we have a specific game plan, or do we just point and shoot?" Ruby asked him.

Dean shrugged, and then turned away from the girls and toward the bedside table, probably stashed with weapons. His eyes slid past Jo without a second glance, which Ruby took note of.

"Did something happen?" she asked just softly enough for only Jo to hear.

"Cas told us that Odi's can conjure up attraction, too," Jo explained. "I don't think he wants to fall victim to that."

"He refuses to be a fool for love?" Ruby whispered. "However, he offers to help Sam kill you?"

"Maybe being a fool for hate is on a different level with him," Jo suggested.

"Boys are stupid," Ruby said, rubbing at her split lip.

"Hey," Jo said suddenly, "where was Bobby when Sam went into attack mode?"

"In his chair," Ruby shrugged. "He tried to talk Sam down, too. I'm surprised he didn't follow me into this room."

Suddenly, a strangled cry sounded from the living room. "_DEAN!_"

Dean's head snapped up at the sound of Sam's scream and he bolted for the door, pushing through the two girls. Hastily, they ran after him, joining the brother in their living room.

What they saw stopped them all in their tracks, forming a half-circle.

Ruby's hands flew up and clapped against her mouth. Dean's hand clutched at Sam's shoulder, as if trying to both comfort Sam's shaky body and keep himself steady. Jo's lips parted and a lump formed in her throat.

A small breeze teased them as the open door creaked on his hinges, the lock having been picked stealthily sometime in the last several minutes.

Jo recalled Cas informing them that Odi's were more powerful at close range.

Bobby's dead body slumped in his wheelchair, his limp hand hanging from the side. On the floor below the hand, a kitchen knife lined with blood on the edge winked up at them. A trail of blood glistened across his throat.

If an Odi could make people hate and want to kill each other, Jo realized, than an Odi could make someone hate and want to kill themselves.

The blood around Bobby's neck was smudged, as if a hand had run through it, but Bobby's hands were clean. This was explained by a messaged situated just in front of Bobby's chair.

In glistening red letters, a message read:

_Come and get me._

* * *

><p>Please review, if you have the time, energy, and motivation:).<p> 


	17. Natural Order

No rights to Supernatural.

* * *

><p>For a while, the group stared at Bobby's unconscious figure. No one spoke, no one choked on sobs, and no one even exchanged a glance with anyone else.<p>

Dean was the first to significantly move. Dean ran to the door and scanned the distance for clues. When he found nothing to shoot at, he pounded the doorframe with his hand, yelling out something indiscernible in his frustration.

Sam ran a hand through his thick hair, his mouth not seeming to clamp shut due to shock.

Dean became desperate, darting up to Bobby, smudging the bloody taunt on the ground with his shoes.

"Bobby?" he shook the man's shoulders. His neck wobbled, and more blood flowed out of the wound there. "_Bobby_?"

"You can't shake the death out of a man, Dean," Ruby said humorlessly.

"_Shut up_!" Dean demanded harshly over his shoulder. He turned back to Bobby. "_Bobby, come on_!"

"Yeah, talk the death out of him," Ruby droned. "That's reasonable."

Dean, quicker than Jo thought was possible, spun around and slapped Ruby across the face in one fluid motion.

"You shut up," he spat at the side of her face.

Ruby cracked her neck, turning to face Dean again. "Hit me all you want, baby," she said, still unsmiling. "That won't earn dear ol' pseudo-dad any life points."

Dean reared back his fist, aiming it straight at Ruby's nose. Ruby noticed, her eyes flicking to the clenched fist, but she didn't seem to make any noticeable effort to stop it. There wasn't even a lazy smirk to show she was above the whole thing.

She deals with grief terribly, Jo thought.

"Dean," Jo placed a tentative hand on his chest. "She's right. She's insensitive, but she's right."

Dean shoved the hand off of his shoulder. "I don't care," he growled, then reared back his fist again and slammed it into the side of Ruby's face.

"Dean," Sam put a hand on his chest, seeming to suddenly snap out of the trance he was in. He instead seemed fixated on something else just behind Bobby.

Dean turned to face the object of Sam's intention. Behind Bobby stood Cas's stoic figure.

"Weren't you just here?" Ruby asked, the emotion not returning to her voice.

"I'm supposed to be here again," he told them cryptically, "just as for the last several minutes, I was not supposed to be here."

"Yeah, well, I beg to differ," Dean snarled, the focus of his aggression shifting from Ruby to Cas. "You could've done something about the dead body, Cas."

"Don't worry, Dean," Cas said. "Bobby is not dead."

The room went silent. The four hunters didn't dare get their hopes up.

"Look closely," Cas encouraged, "at Bobby's supposedly fatal wound."

Dean hesitated, but bent down close to Bobby's neck. Upon closer examination, he realized the actual cut was not at the throat. Instead, the cut was mostly near the side, ending just before the Adam's apple. He couldn't recall if the wound had looked like this a few minutes ago, or if it was like this after Cas's appearance. It was an awfully convenient coincidence.

"Your uncle is merely unconscious," Cas revealed. "I suggest you hastily stop the bleeding before further damage entails."

"Sam, go get something to stop the bleeding," Dean commanded, "_now_."

Sam obeyed, darting to the kitchen.

"Now, are you going to get this Odi taken care of or not?" Cas asked in a tone that probably qualified as sass for him.

"We were about to go try," Dean explained, "and then we found this sitting in the living room."

Sam returned with bandages and rags and hastily began blotting them against Bobby's neck.

"Jo, let's load the car with killing devices," Ruby suggested. "Let's get this thing before it hurts some other poor, old cripple." Jo nodded and followed her out of the living room.

They collected a series of different guns and knives, including the Colt, which Ruby had helped fix up for the Winchesters. She recalled Bobby shooting her with it before she had done so sort of wistfully. She remembered the somewhat awkward car ride with the new and improved Colt with him, riding off to save Sam and Dean. She smiles at the memory.

Ruby cared about Bobby, and Jo found that the slightest bit adorable. Not that she'd let her know that any time soon. "Adorable" is not something she'd like being associated with.

"Are we actual going to kill this thing?" Jo asked once Ruby had finished reminiscing about Bobby. "I mean, it's a human technically, right?"

"I think we can claim it as self-defense at this point if we do," Ruby said, checking the Colt for bullets she'd taught Bobby how to melt down using the proper metals. _This is chemistry, baby_, she remembered,_ not witchcraft, so stop looking at me like that_.

"Jo! Ruby!" she heard from the living room. "Hurry up, would you?"

"Untwist your panties, Speed Racer," Ruby called back. "Ready, Jo?"

Jo nodded, shoving the machete she'd used during the hunt with the vampire witches down the hip of her new jeans. The jacket she donned was not new, however. It was what she'd worn during the hunt that'd nearly killed her. She wasn't sure why she'd chosen it. Probably some sort of symbolism her subconscious was aware of.

Ruby and Jo left the room together. As they entered the living room, they saw Dean and Cas drop Bobby into a messy heap onto the couch, a splotched bandage wrapped around his neck. As long as he was alive.

"Let's do this," Ruby encouraged, the humor back in her personality now that Bobby was okay. She handed part of her bundle of weapons to Sam, because chivalry called for him helping with a lady's load, and they both carried the weapons out the door, still forebodingly swinging on its hinges. Jo began to follow them out, but paused at the door frame to reach back and close the thing. As she placed her hand on the door knob, she heard a conversation drum up between Dean and Cas. She stopped to listen.

"I hope all goes well for you, Dean," Cas wished.

"You aren't coming?" Dean frowned.

"I have bigger fish to broil."

"It's fish to _fry_, Cas," he rolled his eyes. "Why aren't you coming? You could smite this thing, couldn't you?"

"It's not on my time table, nor part of the will for me," Cas explained.

"Haven't we lectured you on free will enough?" Dean said.

"You are all technically free to do as you please," Cas supposed, "but you are also free to do what you are supposed to. And certain things are inevitable.

"You are not the center of my focuses, Dean. I barely have time to be here now, though I don't expect you to thank me. I have other affairs to attend to."

"Fine, Cas, I get it," Dean said gruffly. "I'm a spoiled brat, you go on a lot of important business trips. Go then."

Dean began to walk towards the door.

"The Odi's currently location is five miles up the road, then one mile east," Cas told his leaving figure. "And Dean . . . "

Dean turned back to him. "Yeah?"

"Try not to let anyone get killed."

"Yeah, I usually practice that lifestyle," Dean furrowed his brow.

"I mean it, Dean," Cas said intently. "Every time someone you care about dies, do not rely on my to bring them back. That's not the natural order of things."

"We don't have much respect for the natural order of things," Dean said.

"_Dean_," Cas lowered his gaze, casting shadows around his eyes that somehow drove him point across, "Bobby Singer was not meant to die today. Allow me to put this frankly: if you die facing that Odi, I'm not bringing you back."

"Why not?" Dean snapped angrily.

"I don't walk around raising every person who dies in battle," he responded, "or every person who's halfway decent. Even friends of yours. Or friends of mine."

"If Sam dies out there—"

"Whoever dies out there, Dean, I'm not raising them back to life. I'm not asking you to understand or be okay with it, I'm merely relaying the information to you in hopes that you'll be careful."

At Dean's frustrated expression, Cas took on a more soothing tone. "Look on the bright side, though. Assuming you all have your affairs in order, you might be going to a better place."

"Was than an elaborate and well-intended plea for me to carpool with you to church or are you actually going to let your friends die?"

"I don't drive, Dean," Cas said.

Dean rolled his eyes.

"And deep down," Cas continued, "you know I'm right about this."

Dean pressed his lips together. "You're about to disappear, aren't you?"

"Be careful, Dean," Cas requested and, as expected, vanished from Dean's sight.

Jo let the door shut before she and Dean could meet eyes. She had never expected Cas to bring her back should she ever die, but all this talk of death suddenly made her wonder if Cas knew something she didn't.

* * *

><p>~End of chapter~<p>

Guys, there was the point to that whole thing.

Since it would seem that Cas still has his angel powers in this tale, there should be a significant reason as to why, should someone die, he doesn't bring them back. Trying to add a certain level of intensity to the story maybe? In this story, Cas is still a good, little soldier. And, as you may have scene in that episode where Dean doubles as death (Appointment in Samarra), preventing a death that was meant to happen knocks over some Domino. Basically, I was trying to get acrosss that Cas was not planning on bring anyone who dies later, whether someone dies or not, back to life, without villainizing him in any way. Whether or not I accomplished that is more up in the air. There's also a touch of my Christian girl ideology in there somewhere. So yeah.

But maybe my duty would be to have you feel that whole Cas thing out yourself from the writing rather then have me explain it to you.

Oh well.

I doubt I'll up and quit this story now, but still, it wouldn't hurt to review, right? RIGHT?

Bye, lovelies.

P.S. Season 8. Yusss. 24 more opportunities to get Jo back in there.


	18. Goodbye Speeches

No rights to Supernatural.

If things go as planned, there's only a handful of chapters left for this tale. Kind of hittin' the home stretch. Or we're about to. Or maybe we already have. Depends what you consider the "home stretch," really.

* * *

><p>"I understand that we're on a painstaking mission and all, but could we maybe have a conversation or something?" Ruby requested.<p>

No one in the car full of sour expressions and intense gazes at nothing particular replied.

"Fine then," she groaned, resting her chin in her hand.

Dean was driving, Sam was riding shotgun, and the girls were in the back seat. The plan was to drive one mile from Bobby's place, due to the one-mile radius thing Cas had mentioned, get out, then patrol perimeter of the area until they found a lurker. (Or _circumference _of the area, as Sam had pointed out.)

"How do we know the bad vibes will go away if we kill this thing?" Ruby wondered, presumably to herself since she had established no one was speaking.

Jo decided to answer anyway. "We don't," Jo grumbled. "Sam might turn around and kill me right after."

Sam didn't answer. He was pretending to be very distracting by his gun.

"Alright, this is about a mile," Dean announced. They were just about to hit a cluster of trees that continued to the left and right, curving as it went on. Dean nestled the Impala into the cluster, out of sight from the dirt road that not many people drove by anyway. He then climbed out of the car, the passengers following suit.

"Should we split up?" Sam asked as he retrieved weapons from the truck.

"No," Jo said, grabbing weapons of her own. "We left Bobby alone and look what happened."

"What about groups of two?"

"No, we're stronger together," Dean said, slamming the trunk closed. At Sam's subtle scowl at Jo, he added, "Whether we like it or not."

"Let's move," Ruby encouraged perkily, propping a shotgun onto her shoulder.

"You don't give the orders here," Dean frowned. He looked upon his group, then ordered without thinking of more effective word choice, "Let's move."

The pack moved west, walking the briskly, scanning the forest on their right for movement and the clearing on their left for figures. They saw nothing out of the ordinary except one rogue squirrel, which Sam shot at in surprise. He spent a while sulking over the death of the poor, unsuspecting squirrel.

"Hey, guys," Ruby began after several minutes of walking in silence. "Can I say something?"

"You already are," Dean pointed out.

"I'm serious, Dean."

The entire group halted and turned on her.

"You are?" Sam raised in surprise.

Ruby rolled her eyes. "Honestly, you people. Girls are supposed to be heartfelt, right?"

"You're not much of a girl," Dean reminded her.

"Let her talk, will you?" Jo said.

Dean shot her an expression she didn't know how to interpret, but let Ruby continue.

"Look, if this thing doesn't go the way we plan then—"

Dean had heard enough. "No," he cut her off promptly. "No goodbyes, no hugs, no tears. We hang out with you two because you don't act like girls."

"Why do you hang out with Sam, then?" Ruby shot back.

Sam sighed, not bothering to defend himself against the petty remark.

"You barely hang out with me anyway," Ruby said. "When was the last time we had a movie night, Dean, just the two of us?"

"No goodbyes," he repeated, beginning to walk again.

Ruby fell in step beside him. "You know who you do spend time with? Jo. And then you pretend like nothing happened. Does the warrant a goodbye or are you going to pretend that never happened?"

Dean's jaw tightened. Jo slapped Ruby on the arm and went ignored.

"Fine," Ruby pouted. "Who needs you?"

A few seconds later, Sam picked up the topic. "She's right, Dean," he said quietly.

Dean threw his head back in frustration. "Geez, Sam. I just knew you'd jump on the goodbye bandwagon."

"This thing almost killed Bobby with its _mind_," Sam reminded him. "We might die, Dean. We're going after because it could kill more of us in a second."

"And for me," Jo murmured under her breath. She wasn't sure if she believed it, but it was nice to think.

"What's your point?"

"My point is," Sam began, "that if any of us don't make it through this, don't go make any more deals, okay?"

"Any of us" obviously meant "Sam." He said that to be polite, in true Sam-nature. However, perhaps Jo was imagining it, but Dean's eyes seem to shift over to her for a moment.

"You, too," Dean agreed. "Don't try to bring me back if this thing gets ahold of me."

"You don't do that, either."

They didn't look at each other for a while. As if they hadn't come to similar agreements in the past. And look at them now, still alive and kicking, sometimes by nefarious but well-intended means.

Eventually, Dean did think to look over his shoulder and add, "You two don't die either, okay?" Jo was the only one behind him, though.

"And, um, Ruby," Sam began, but stopped when Ruby came to a sudden halt, her eyes widening.

"Whoa," she muttered, putting a hand on Dean's arm as if to steady herself.

"What?" Dean asked, glancing down uncomfortably at her reproaching hand.

"The Odi," she said. "It's close."

Sam and Dean exchanged bewildered glances.

"How can you tell?" Jo asked, coming to her side.

"I . . . I don't know," Ruby admitted. "I just . . . I can feel it. It's closeby."

She let go of Dean's arm and separated from the group. During their walk, their path had shifted slightly into the thicket of forest. Ruby placed her hands on one of the trees, and then poked her head around it. She drew it back a second later.

"I was right," she gasped. "I see someone."

"Did they see you?" Dean asked, urgency creeping into his voice as he activated hunting mode.

"I don't think so," she replied, returning to the group. "I could barely see them. It was just a silhouette, mostly. If it had seen me, I think one of us would be hacking the ears off of the other by now."

The entire group exchanged apprehensive, but determined looks.

"Well, let's go then," Dean ordered.

"Hey, wait," Sam said.

"Not another goodbye," Dean groaned.

"Not exactly." Sam approached Ruby and stood right in front of her. Ruby raised her eyebrows, but didn't say anything. He fished in his back pocket, retrieved something, and held it out to her. "I think you should be to one to use this. You're better at it than any of us."

Ruby's knife glinted up her, sunlight winking off the jagged edge.

"Whoa!" she exclaimed, grabbing it by the blade, and then throwing it into a flip to catch it by the handle. "Thanks, Sam. Even though it's rightfully mine."

"Sorry I never returned it," he apologized, "but you were AWOL for over a year."

"All is forgiven," she grinned, looking over the weapon returned to her custody and twirling it skillfully in her fingers.

Dean looked as if he very much wanted to say something, but, respectfully, kept it to himself.

"You be careful out there, okay?" Sam requested.

"Well," Ruby smirked, holding up the knife, "now I have a little room to be sloppy, don't you think?"

Sam chuckled at the ground.

"Are we going now," Dean pressed, "before this thing gets a grip on all the fluffy feelings going around?"

"Ready when you are, honey," Ruby smiled.

The group, as a unit, headed towards the thing that Ruby apparently had felt. They kept close to the trees, walking on the balls of their feet, hoping to take it by surprise. As they walked, the figure grew larger, clearer. It began to have features.

The first surprise belonged to Jo. She was caught off-guard at seeing that the figure wasn't the woman with the short haircut she'd seen when she was unconscious.

The second surprise belonged to Sam and Dean, and their surprise played off of that one. They didn't believe what they saw at first, but as they approached the resemblance became to uncanny to ignore.

"Hey, Dean," Sam began, uncertainly, "does that look a lot like . . ." he trailed off.

Dean finished for him. "Gabriel."

* * *

><p>~End of Chapter~<p>

Whoops. I thought Changing Channels happened after Abandon All Hope. Just did some corrective googling. So it's fixed now.


	19. Hot Blonde

I fixed the last chapter to it says "Gabriel" instead of "the Trickster" now. Woop.

No rights to Supernatural.

* * *

><p>Sam, Dean, Jo, and Ruby made an attempt to continue being sneaky. The immediate shock of seeing Gabriel instead of an Odi was still there, but they tried to keep quiet about it.<p>

Apparently, it didn't work.

"No need to hide, guys," Gabriel smirked, looking in their direction. "Come join the party."

The group froze.

"Now what?" Dean asked through his teeth.

"I guess we . . . join the party," Sam concluded.

Hesitantly, the group rose from their crouched position and stepped out of the forest. They stopped about ten feet in front of him, no barrier or protection between them and trees to far away to matter much in terms of defense.

"Come closer, I don't bite," Gabriel encouraged. "I simply slaughter and mutilate."

"Why are you here?" Dean demanded of him.

"I thought you had put all those pieces together, Dean," he teased, waggling his eyebrows. "Tear apart Thing 1 and Thing 2 in order to give us a foothold in this world."

"That was the Odi's gameplan, wasn't it?" Jo said quietly to no one in particular.

"Come on, connect the dots, baby," Gabriel encouraged. "You're not as blonde as you look, are you?"

Dean lowered his eyebrows. "Aren't you an angel?"

"It's certainly the conclusion you jumped to," Gabriel sneered. "I'm in a ring of fire, I choose not to jump over some nasty looking flames, cite some biblical prophecies, and next thing you know, you two are certain I've got fluffy, white wings."

"So," Sam said, "you're _not _an angel?"

"The smart one strikes again," Gabriel said.

"Then what are you?" Dean demanded to know.

"Figure it out, hot stuff," he willed. "Think about it. The first time we met, I messed around with you guy's relationship, severed the ties between you, caused all of this conflict where it didn't belong. Doesn't that sound a lot like a creature you've been studying recently?"

"You said you were—"

"A trickster?" he finished for him. "Bobby said that, actually. I just played along. Who knows if those are even real?"

"All those things that happened—" Sam began.

"An Odi can't alter reality, Sam," Gabriel informed him. "We can, however, do a thing or two about dreams."

Sam shook his head. "When all those things started happening on that college campus, when you kept killing Dean, when we were stuck in TV—"

"All dreams. Vivid, painful, but cleverly structured dreams," Gabriel proclaimed. "Well, the first one, the time I played janitor, those were other people's dream I went into, and they merely let you know what happened. The second one, Sam woke up on Wednesday, under the impression that he'd a few Tuesdays too many. And of course, the TV incident. Let me tell you, flipping back and forth between you two's heads was exhausting.

"And we have this little piece of adorable pie over here," Gabriel said, pointing at Jo, who lifted her gun reflexively. "You were more than just a fun head trip of mine, weren't you? I went all the way, offered you deal, and now here we stand, at each other's throats in one way or another. Did you like my sultry woman body? I thought you'd be more comfortable with it. I'm quite intimidating, after all."

"Call off the deal," Jo demanded, aiming her gun at the Odi's forehead.

"Which deal, Joey?" he teased. "The one that gave you your life back? What kind of bogus thank you is this?"

"Stop controlling our emotions," Dean commanded, making his voice much scarier than Jo had the ability to make hers.

"How am I supposed to tear apart you guys and the rest of hunter-kind if I do that?"

"Why do you want hunters dead?" Sam asked.

"I have a personal beef with you two," he point out. "After all, you've tried to kill me multiple times. Good thing you're so easy to outwit."

"Is that so?" Dean said before pulling the Colt from his pocket and aiming it at Gabriel.

He gave Dean a crooked smile, his eyes twinkling. "Yes."

Dean got the feeling that something big was supposed to happen right here. Nothing much happened, though. There was quite an anticlimactic lack of words, and everyone just sort of glanced at each other.

Then, the boiling rage fired up inside him.

The next thing he knew, he had the Colt turned on Sam.

"_Hey_!" Sam cried.

"You ran away from me and dad," Dean snarled, anger and hatred contorting his features. "You never wanted in this fight. You _hated _this family."

"And that's how powers are used," Gabriel grinned triumphantly. "Surprisingly easy with Dean, though. He must have some painful memories in that noggin of his if I can twist them up this easily.

"It was harder with Bobby. No matter all the low down things I made him remember and replay and emphasize, he wouldn't kill himself. He probably loved you boys too much, or some other noble, heartfelt, puke-worthy reason. I snuck in there and sliced him myself. Not that it mattered much. Your angel buddy fixed him up, didn't he?"

Sam and Dean used some unoccupied part of their brains to feel relieved. There was something comforting about knowing that Bobby didn't kill himself. Or even try to.

But back to business: There was a Dean-wielded gun pointed at Sam's chest.

"Gabriel!" Sam yelped.

"Oh, you know I'm not Gabriel," he rolled his eyes. "I'm obviously not an archangel."

"Then who are you?" Jo asked.

"You can still call me Gabriel, I suppose," he shrugged. "It's still a name. Just don't add an angelic ring to it."

"Gabriel, make Dean stop!" Sam requested.

"But he just started!" Gabriel said. "Sorry it took a minute, though. I meant for it to be the hot blonde of questionable species over here pointing the gun at Dean."

Gabriel turned to Ruby, who hadn't contributed a single snide remark to this entire exchange, extremely out of character for you.

"And I do mean _hot blonde_," Gabriel added. "Your intelligence, that capability for intense manipulation, as some may call it, makes you fifty times more attractive you know. In fact, you've probably figured it out. You probably know why my power doesn't work on you."

Ruby gazed up at him, her eyes big and thoughtful and if thoughts were rushing back and forth in them.

Jo's, whose intelligence had not been noted, had a mind in a similar condition as pieces fell into place.

Ruby did not have a demon personality, but her eyes turned black and she didn't die easily.

Ruby somehow seemed to know things without explanation, as if her intelligence and ability of perception was at a higher level than a normal, healthy human.

Ruby felt it when they were nearing Gabriel.

Ruby would not seem to leave Dean alone, as if she thrived on messing with him, as if she fed off of the conflict it caused.

Ruby was an Odi.

* * *

><p>~End of Chapter~<p>

Here's some boring info.

Making the Odi Gabriel was a pretty recent decision. I was watching some of "Tall Tales," where Sam and Dean were fighting and stuff because of him and it hit me that I could've brought him in as the villain. At first, I felt it was too late and that I wouldn't have done it anyway. Then, I actually did. Hence, this chapter.

But the Ruby being an Odi thing, that's been in my brain for a while.


	20. Quick Refresher

No rights to Supernatural.

* * *

><p>Pieces continued clicking into place.<p>

Cas had said Ruby had could grasp onto one's emotions or something. He wasn't being socially awkward. He was being literal. Ruby could do that because she was an _Odi_.

Ruby finally spoke up. "But . . . I remember dying during the black plague. And . . . hell."

Sam and Dean seemed to have caught on by this point, eyes wide as they gazed at Ruby in a new light.

"You're terribly confused, sweetheart," Gabriel rolled his eyes. "Recall all that research your pseudo-uncle did. People like us have . . . what was the phrase, unreliable minds? You're a bit loopy up in the noggin."

"Then . . . what was real?" Ruby pleaded, seeming to shrink in on herself.

"I guess you can pull a Peeta Mellark later to clear that up," Gabriel shrugged, "provided you survive."

Dean looked confused.

Sam rolled his eyes. "Seriously, dude? Last book of _The Hunger Games_?"

"I haven't visited my local library recently," he shrugged, then seemed to catch himself and twist his face back into a grimace, brandishing his gun at Sam. "And shut up."

Sam winced as the gun flinched toward him.

"It's a reference to figuring out reality, Bozo," Gabriel clarified. "Something you four are currently failing miserably at."

"What do you mean?" Jo frowned.

He continued as though he hadn't heard her. "Putting this image in all four heads was a painstaking task. I wasn't sure it would work on the hot blonde."

Ruby scowled.

"But it did," he smiled triumphantly. "I guess the dream thing works on each other, but honestly, how much harm can you do with that? How fitting that we don't sleep much. But remember, everything you learned in this dream is true."

"What are you talking about?" Jo asked.

Gabriel smiled at them and raised his hand into the air. "Come and get me," he smirked, repeating his cryptic message from earlier written in Bobby's blood.

He snapped his fingers.

The next thing Jo knew, she was shaking. Her eyes were closed at her back curved at an odd angle.

"Wake up! Wake up, you idiots, wake up!"

It was Ruby's voice, and her eyes opened to the inside of the Impala. She was in the back seat, slumping against it, Ruby shaking her shoulder.

With a start, she realized she'd been dreaming. The Odi had given her a dream. Probably one for all of them.

She was suddenly aware the she was coughing.

"Out of the car," Ruby urged. "Gabriel knocked us out. Carbon monoxide."

Sam and Dean's coughing rang through the Impala as the struggled to force the door open. Jo did the same, and Ruby helped guide her out.

"What was real?" Dean coughed at the ground. "What do you guys remember?"

Ruby climbed out of the car and felt her back pocket. She didn't feel a knife there, which Sam had supposedly given her.

"We never got out of the car," she deduced. She bent down near the bumper and pulled a potato out of the muffler, which had caused the carbon monoxide. "We all were dreaming. But I imagine everything we learned is true." She lowered her eyes.

"In your dream, did I . . . ?" Sam trailed off.

"You gave my knife back," Ruby nodded, and then added rather pointedly, "I should have known it was only a dream."

"Quick refresher," Sam began. He fished the knife from his back pocket and thrust it at Ruby, who caught it skillfully but the handle. "Ruby, there's your knife. Be careful. Apparently, you're human, meaning you can die. Dean, don't die, because that usually leads to trouble."

"Same to you," Dean agreed. "You too, Jo," he added, almost as an afterthought.

"Yeah, don't any of you die," Jo nodded. "Let's go kill this sassy and irritating attempted murderer, huh?"

"Sounds like a plan," Dean nodded.

"Hey, Dean," Sam cut in briefly. "In your dream, did you point a gun at me?"

"He did that feeling thing!" Dean defended.

"Make sense of your feelings later, you two," Ruby urged. "Now can we go?"

The group started trotting the path they'd gone in the dream, abandoning any attempt at stealth.

"He's close," Ruby announced as they neared.

A few minutes later, she shouted, "There!"

Barely wasting a second, Dean lifted the Colt and pointed it at the figure in the distance. Gabriel ducked the bullet.

As a unit, the group of hunters, every single one of the human in some form or another, charged the Odi that had been wreaking havoc on their lives.

Ruby was hungry to use her knife again. She reached Gabriel first, slicing it towards his throat.

"That's not ladylike," Gabriel croaked as he tilted backwards to avoid the blade.

"You're no angel yourself," Dean reminded him ironically, aiming the Colt again.

"Touché," Gabriel admitted. "You all realize I have the advantage here, don't you?"

"Says the man without the weaponry," Ruby said.

Gabriel gave her the group a small smirk.

This rage the swelled inside Dean was similar to what he'd felt in his Odi-dream, only ten times more influential. Quite ironically, he spun the Colt toward Sam. Anger crossed Sam's features.

"I'm your _brother_, Dean," he tried to remind him.

"Some brother you are," Dean growled.

Jo noticed Gabriel smirk at the display.

"Quit it!" Jo shouted at him. "This is about me, not them!"

"Actually, honey, this is mostly about them, and you're the convenient scapegoat I used to wiggle into their lives."

Jo saw Dean's finger tighten on the trigger.

"Stop!" Ruby cried. Ruby grabbed Dean's arm, and wrenched his arm toward the sky just as trigger went off. Sam flinched expectedly at the sound, but the bullet flew at the sky.

"What are you doing, idiot?" she snarled into Dean's ear. "That's your brother. That's your brother that you wouldn't hesitate to throw yourself into hell for. You are not going to kill him because you feel like it, are you? Or are you just as stupid as you look."

"He abandoned me and dad—"

"He's your family, Dean!" Ruby grabbed at the collar of his shirt. "That's your thing. That's your deal. Get over his great plethora of flaws like he does for yours."

Jo wanted to jump in, but she was unsure of whether or not Dean still hated her as well. She didn't want to contribute an automatically invalidated opinion to the whole thing.

Thankfully, Dean was able to see sense. He lowered the gun and looked up at Sam apologetically.

Sam rolled his eyes at him, as if he'd just done something stupidly adorable instead of pointing the most valuable gun in the world at him.

"Ah, the brother card," Gabriel clapped his hands together sarcastically. "An old favorite. Almost always effective."

The group gave him a hostile glare, tightening their grips on their weapons. Ruby let go of Dean's shirt and twirled her knife in her hand.

"However," Gabriel lifted a finger, "let's see how you work under a new formula."

He made eye contact with Jo.

Suddenly, an unbelievable, all-consuming, burning, fiery hatred exploded inside her, so intense her chest physically ached with it.

A single thought ran through her mind.

_Dean must die._


	21. One of Them

No rights to Supernatural.

Hi reviewers. I love you. Here. Have a chapter.

* * *

><p>"Sometimes, I think I'm the only sane person on the planet," Ruby grunted as she tried to wrench Jo away from Dean.<p>

"Tell that to your wacko memories," Gabriel aid.

Ruby shot him a scowl over her shoulder, and then turned her attentions back to the matter at hand. Jo was currently clamoring at Dean, a small knife clutched in her hand.

Ruby grabbed the knife-wielding hand and twisted it behind her back. "Not you, too, sweetheart," Ruby leaned over her shoulder and said into her ear. "We're supposed to be the friendly ones."

Jo took her free arm and rammed her elbow into Ruby's temple. She cried out in pain and released her hold, stumbling backwards. Jo spun and went for Dean again, but Sam stepped in front of her.

"He's got you there," Ruby said, rubbing the side of her head and sorting herself out. "What use is it trying to run past a brick wall?"

Despite his size, Sam was man, and a man could be overpowered.

Anything to get to Dean.

Jo tried to push her foot into Sam's stomach, but he contorted his body to avoid it. He swung his fist out to meet her, but she avoided it just as skillfully.

During these processions, Dean didn't just sit there and allow himself to achieve damsel status. His eyes flicked up subtly at Gabriel, or whatever his name actually was. Discreetly, he adjusted his hold on the Colt currently pointed at the ground and slid his finger onto the trigger.

Jo reared her knife behind her knife. By this time, Ruby had regained her composure. She seized the reared arm and was able to grab hold of the other one and pin them both behind Jo's back, locking her in place. Sam trudged closer to Jo and thrashed his fist across her face.

"Easy!" Ruby reprimanded, pulling Jo back a couple steps. "You could break the girls' neck!"

"I'd be doing the world a favor," Sam retorted.

"Still?" Ruby exclaimed.

Jo suddenly slammed her heel into Ruby's ankle. She sucked in a breath, but maintained her hold on Jo. Catching her off-guard, Jo threw back her little, blonde head, slamming it against Ruby's forehead. This time, she released her grip.

Jo's cheekbone still stung, but she wasn't mad at Sam. It was Dean she had beef with. After all, he used to treat her like a child. He was arrogant and patronizing. He'd used her as bait. He'd left her in that hardware store to die.

Never mind that she was had changed so much over the course of a few years and Dean's treatment of her had changed along with it. Never mind she'd wanted to be bait. Never mind that she was the one who brought the idea of building the bomb and suggested everyone leave her there to explode. Never mind that everyone had their faults.

It didn't matter because she hated Dean and that was that.

Dean watched Gabriel gaze upon the results of his chaos smugly. He gripped the Colt tightly, and then slowly, very slowly, began to lift to aim at Gabriel's head. He had it aimed at his eye, when suddenly, something occurred to him.

Jo was an annoying brat. She punched him in the face when they first met. She'd but into him and Sam's hunt and almost got herself killed. She was the bait to get him to kill Sam. She got herself all bloody and injured on one of their hunts together and ended up getting her mom killed.

Never mind Jo had changed considerably since their first meeting. Never mind that it was Meg who tied up Jo in the first place, and she was competent of taking Meg's head off these days. Never mind she'd gotten hurt saving _his _life.

It didn't matter because he hated Jo and that was that.

Sam and Jo were currently going at each other. Dean dropped the gun from Gabriel and trotted over to join the brawl.

The corner of Gabriel's lip quirked at his work.

Dean slammed the butt of the Colt into Jo's head, catching her by surprise with his sudden inclusion in the fight. He flipped the gun around to shoot her, but Ruby stepped in, forcing her boot into Dean's side. He lost his aim as stumbled over himself, but clambered back toward Jo. He was blocked again by Ruby's efforts. Jo tried to weasel past Ruby in her attempted to get to Dean. Ruby struck her foot backwards into Jo's calf, then up into Sam's more intimate parts as he tried to get at her, too.

Ruby suddenly found herself in the middle of a volatile situation.

As Sam wheezed in pain at one of the cheaper, but more effective tactics to be used against strong male rivals, Ruby struck her arms out to nail Dean and Ruby in the faces. They were wincing for about two seconds, and then were trying to scramble past her again.

She couldn't keep this up forever, she knew. She was already exhausted.

"Why are you doing this?" she shouted to Gabriel, still poised unharmed about ten feet away.

"Why _aren't _you doing this?" he responded. "After how they've treated you?"

"Ever heard of forgiving and forgetting?" Ruby tried as she swung her fist across Dean's face. They weren't even listening to this exchange, so caught up in their own feelings.

"Sam and Dean have treated you like dirt since they met you."

"Sam's been kind of sweet," she offered as she elbow said Sam in the ribcage.

"This isn't just about you, Ruby!" Gabriel explained enthusiastically. "All of our kind has been undermined, particularly by these two clowns. They keep killing us off, and killing off things like us, no questions asked."

"Terrible, considering how lovely you've been treating them," she said.

"Ripping them apart is how we take them down," he urged. "And it's not that easy to sever the ties between those two, so I twisted up the other ones. And look at them, Ruby. Once you step out of this equation, they could kill each other. And we could employ this strategy with every hunter out there, and pretty soon, we're free."

"I don't see the sense in letting all the creepy crawlies run unfettered across the earth," Ruby grunted, wrenching Jo back by the hair.

"Outside of hunters, no one cares if your eyes turn black when you're upset," Gabriel said, "or if you feed on bad vibes. There's so much feeding ground out there, Ruby. Just take it."

"No hunters, and uncontrolled Odis, and the world could plunge into chaos," Ruby frowned.

"Not for us," Gabriel pointed out.

"How selfless of you," Ruby groaned. "Well, sorry, pal, but that wannabe world domination play of yours isn't okay with us."

"'_Us_,'" Gabriel repeated. "Do you hear yourself? You consider yourself one of them. But Ruby, right down to the DNA, you're more like me."

Ruby froze. For about six fractions of a second, considering she was in the midst of combat, but she froze nonetheless.

"You're right," she realized. "I am a lot like you."

Gabriel narrowed his eyes, not sure where this was going.

And suddenly, the fighting, violent figures of Sam, Dean, and Jo _stopped_. A couple of them had weapons raised, but they froze them in the air. It was as if something overcame them. Suddenly, it didn't seem right to fight each other.

"Thanks," Ruby smirked, sliding her machete back into the hip of her pants.

The three un-mutated humans took a moment to assess themselves. None of them hated the other. Sam and Dean didn't even hate Jo anymore.

Ruby grinned up at Gabriel. "That's more like it."


	22. Special Treatment

Too much Ruby in this tale? Perhaps. Please excuse my excessive loads of Ruby headcanon in this supposedly _Dean/Jo_ tale. But, I mean, if you want to start like headcanon-ized Ruby, that's definitely okay with me.

No rights to Supernatural.

* * *

><p>Gabriel's small smile was probably the single most irritating thing Ruby had ever seen. She'd figured out how to use her weird mutant powers. One would think that it would at least call for a slight falter in the expression.<p>

"I was wondering when you'd figure it out, hot stuff," Gabriel said. "It's not that hard, is it?"

Irritated or not, Ruby still had some annoying attitude in her as well. "No, it's pretty easy. I mean, if you can do it . . ."

Gabriel chortled. "Stunning power, isn't it? After you have the general concept, you don't even really have to think about it? The feelings, they just stay there and simmer, and suddenly the lab rats look at the other lab rats like they're cheese."

He looked back at Ruby. "But not you. They look at you like you're vermin, no matter what."

"You have the impression that they treat me a lot worse than they do," Ruby defended.

"They treat you worse than you deserve," Gabriel said. "Stop _fighting _me, Ruby. We can—"

"Eat the world, or whatever," Ruby cut him off. "No thanks. You know, we're not actually _better _than them, so get off your high horse, will you? Weird telepathy thing that they're short on, sure, but we're not better."

She turned to the group of three, and they looked conflicted, which was probably why they weren't doing much. Ruby's implanted feelings and Gabriel's and their own real ones all mixed together were probably sending their brains into war.

"Look at them, Gabriel," Ruby said. "Not the brightest bulbs, but they'd throw themselves to painful, bloody deaths for each other in a second. Can I say the same about me?"

"Let's reword that," Gabriel offered. "They'd kill _you_, or me, or just about anyone else, to save each other. The boys, I mean. They'd kill off the girl in a second."

Sam and Dean didn't look at Gabriel. They were probably trying to decide whether or not it was true.

"That's not true," Ruby decided for them, spinning back toward Gabriel, arms crossed across her chest. "Behind Dean's binge-drinking and Barney Stinson-style love life, there's a stunning amount of morality. And Sam, well, he wears his morality on the surface. And it drives them, baby. It drives them to love each other unconditionally, and kill a few things with your kind of attitude along the way."

"Don't talk like you know me," Dean frowned.

Sam kicked him in the shin, a silent _shut up!_

"What's your point?" Gabriel prompted.

"These boys don't always do so," she explained, "but they know how to be good. Us? I don't think we have it in us."

"Well, that's not true," Jo provided.

Ruby shrugged the comment off.

"These people try to do what's right," Ruby continued, "and you're right, I'm not one of them. Honestly, I probably am more like you. But I know who I want to be more like."

Gabriel cocked his head to the side, his snarky grin still not faltering. He raised his hands and let out a round of sarcastic applause.

"That was beautiful, honeybuns," he commented, "but I like you better when you're slashing at people with knives, to be honest."

"That can be arranged," she offered, twirling the weapon in her hands.

"You might have to slash at your oh-so-noble friends here in a minute," he warned, waggling his eyebrows. "I'm not new to the powers. I know how to us them."

How lowered his gaze at her. "This is your last chance, Roobster," Gabriel warned. "Act like one of them, and I treat you like one of them."

Ruby didn't even have to think about it. She didn't even answer him. She merely . . . concentrated.

Gabriel was right about something. She was new to her powers. How did you get more power? Did you just . . . concentrate harder?

It seemed to work. Sam, Dean, and Jo become thoroughly unconcerned with each other, and they turned their attentions to Gabriel. Thinking quickly, Dean raised the Colt and pointed it at Gabriel. At the same time, Sam and Jo began running at Gabriel.

"Not so fast," Gabriel said. "Looks like the lines are drawn. Nice knowing you."

It was like a wave going through the people. Sam and Jo halted in their tracks.

And then turned on each other.

Jo had a small knife out, while Sam had dropped his gun when all the Gabriel-feelings hit him. Seeing the disadvantages there, Dean stepped in.

"Jo, stop!" he called, trotting up to her.

This left Ruby with a choice. She could get into this spat, wielding her long-absent knife, and expertly knock some sense into the gang. Someone could get hurt and it probably wouldn't change their minds about anything. _Or _she could have at Gabriel herself.

There was a third option, but she decided to try that one first.

She darted around the bickering trio and lifted her knife to strike Gabriel. He caught the threat by the wrist.

"You don't think I'm trained up a bit, too?" he teased, thrusting the arm away.

"Not as much as I am," she pointed out, swinging her knife and catching him slightly in the arm.

He hissed in pain, yet somehow, didn't lose that stupid smirk. "Maybe," he admitted, "why don't you tell your dying friend about it?"

Ruby spun around, knife held at her side, to see what he meant by that.

It was a new arrangement as far as the hate layout was concerned. Dean was holding Sam on the ground by the shoulders and Jo was straddling across his stomach, swinging her fist across his face. She began to grip her knife with both hands. It was easy to see where this was going.

Ruby looked back at Gabriel, smirk as infuriating as ever. She could stay here and kill him, or save Sam. Win the war or lighten the body count.

With her most intimidating glare at Gabriel, she decided the latter. She charged Jo's knife-wielding figure and rammed her body into her. Jo grunted as she went flying off of Sam. Ruby rolled off of Jo before she'd even stopped sliding across the grass.

She resorted to the third option she hadn't gone with earlier. She squeezed her fingers against her temples, like in the movies, and focused on her abilities.

Sam, Dean, and Jo straightened as their feelings sorted out. Or rather, new ones were inserted. Ruby did ask for much. Merely, for them to tolerate each other. But mixed with the hatred Gabriel was probably dumping into them, they were likely warring with themselves right now. They didn't move much, Sam laying in the grass with Dean over him, Jo laying right where Ruby left her.

Ruby tried harder, focusing on each person individually, then on the exact emotion she wanted them to feel.

"Can I get a little soul-searching or something, please?" she requested from the group.

Sam, shook her head, as if shaking off the bad vibes. He got to his feet, helping up his brother. Jo helped herself to her feet, because she was surrounded the most gentlemanly of gentlemen.

"Not so fast," Gabriel said.

Ruby didn't wait for who would feel what. She dashed back in front of Gabriel and swung her knife, hoping to catch him off-guard and slit his throat. He caught her arm and guided it away from him, shoving her away in one fluid motion. Meanwhile, the clench in Dean's jaw showed he was about to go off on somebody.

Once Ruby had finished stumbling forward, she bent down onto the grass and put her fingers to her temples again, her knife hanging in the grip of her curled thumb. She had a new strategy in mind. She wasn't going to settle for toleration. She was going to go for full-on love.

…_but love conquers over all wrong._

Cas had said that. And she didn't know how she knew that. Probably a side-effect of her condition. Probably why she seemed to know almost everything.

She was about to try out the love strategy. Make everyone love each other, and they'll probably want to take out the thing threatening each other.

So she focused.

For about half a second.

Before she could try any longer, her knife was easily slipped out from the curl of her thumb.

A sharp cry escaped Ruby's lips as the knife was shoved through the arc of her back, a pain extreme and terrible and severe exploding there.

Gabriel didn't release his grip on the knife as he bent down to whisper in her ear, "This is what happens when you act like one of them."

He wrenched the knife out of her body. As her body slumped to the ground, he dropped the bloody weapon beside her.


	23. Knife Fight

No rights to Supernatural.

But do you know what you have a right to do?

Read and review.

:)

Enjoy...

* * *

><p>A yelp escaped Jo's throat.<p>

She had just previously been occupied in a fistfight with Sam, but out of her peripheral had caught sight of her favorite leggy blonde mutant slumping to the ground.

Sam saw Jo freeze, noted the opening to kill her _finally_, but stopped his knife in midair when he saw the same thing.

Even Dean stopped stalking toward Sam and the sight.

Gabriel grinned at their shocked faces. "Please, don't stop on my account."

No one replied with anything witty.

That was Ruby's job.

And Dean's, but even he was silenced.

Ruby's limp body was facing the three of them, crumpled in a heap on her side with blonde hairs strewn across her face, sticking to her still-pink lips.

"Ruby?" Sam called despairingly, his voice breaking a little.

Of course, she didn't answer. She didn't move. She didn't twitch.

Gabriel rolled his eyes, frustrated by the display. Great. All the love-y feelings Ruby had towards the gang were somewhat mutual. He focused his powers, trying to get the bunch to gang up on Dean.

Apparently, grief was push in the right direction. Jo, frustrated and upset, focused onto Gabriel, and held her knife aloft as she ran at him.

"Crap," he muttered at her approach.

When she reached him, Jo swung the knife down towards his head. He barely dodged it in time.

"Let's thing about this, sugar," Gabriel tried, backing away from the upset girl.

"You killed Ruby," she recalled.

"Let bygones be bygones," Gabriel offered.

"You're currently trying to kill _all of us_."

"I must admit, your reasoning is sensible," he admitted. "However, let's get down to why Ruby's dead."

"Because you _shoved a knife in her back_," she screeched.

Sam had reached Ruby's body and was leaning over it, assessing the damage. Dean joined him shortly.

"This is true," Gabriel admitted. "Why did I feel compelled to do so?"

"I'm not up for hearing how noble your intentions were," she snarled as she went for his throat. Gabriel sidestepped the blow.

"Are you up for hearing Dean's, then?" he offered.

Jo scowled. Was he attempting to distract her?

Seeing her pause, Gabriel launched into an explanation. "Dean allowed Ruby to come along on this kill trip of yours rather easily. Wasn't he aching to rip out her intestines just few days ago? Do you think that stubborn mule of a human being would change his opinion over someone so easily, without my help? He led Ruby her so she would _die_."

Jo didn't believe that. She thought a lot of not-so-nice things about Dean sometimes, but he wouldn't lead someone to their death if they were helpful and important to his brother, would they?

A sliver of consideration flickered in Jo's mind that was to be dismissed in seconds. But Gabriel caught those seconds of doubt in her eyes, and hit her with his strongest surge of hate yet.

And two thoughts ran through Jo's mind, connecting to each other impractically.

_Dean killed Ruby._

_Dean must die._

And now, Ruby wasn't helping her think differently.

Jo's face, already grim from her previous feelings, turned on Dean, hunched over Ruby's body beside Sam. She pocked her small knife, and then broke into a sprint towards him, crashing into his body and knocking him backwards.

"Jo!" Sam cried.

Gabriel, without any weapons, still managed to take advantage of Sam's mournful, unfocused condition. He sauntered up to him, lifted his foot and kicked him hard in the temple. His already hunched over figure crumpled into a heap beside Ruby.

Sam had tried to kill him in the past, so Gabriel wanted to make his death a bit more torturous than shooting him in the unconscious head. He's feel the pain of all his friends' death first, if Gabriel had it his way. Deciding to wait until he reached consciousness, Gabriel crossed his arms and watched to see who out of Dean and Jo would die first.

Jo straddled Dean, pinning him to the ground and slamming both of her fists across his face, one after the other.

"Jo!" he tried to yell at her, but she was barely hearing him. "Jo, stop!"

"Maybe when you're _dead_," Jo spat at him.

"Jo!" he tried again. He managed to find the presence of mind in the midst of all those fists to lift up his arms and clutch Jo by the shoulders in attempt to push her off of him. When she finally came off, she made sure to take Dean with her. They against the grass, but Dean ended up on top, holding her to the ground.

"Jo, you listen to me, you whiny brat," he demanded. "You don't hate me. I am bucket of laughs and joy and nothing but good times."

"You arrogant, self-absorbed loser!"

"I'm kidding! You know I'm kidding!" Dean shouted at her. "I've got more self-esteem issues then most teenage girls."

"My deepest sympathies," Jo grunted as she tried and tried to push Dean off of her.

"My point is, you don't hate me, Jo," he tried to explain. "Come on, what are you mad at me for right now?"

Killing Ruby, originally? But she's gotten past the flies in that logic. He hadn't killed Ruby. But he'd treated her so poorly. So many times, he would've let her die. On her first hunt, when he'd used her as bait. When Sam's possessed body had captures her, and he refused to shoot Sam in attempt to save her. When he'd left her in that hardware store to bleed out and die.

"I wish you were dead," she decided to snarl up at Dean's face.

"Can't say I haven't thought the same," Dean admitted.

"Yeah, I know," Jo glared.

"About _myself_! Not you!"

"_You left me there to die_," she spat, struggling to free her wrists from his grip.

"You _begged _us to! You _asked _for it! What was I supposed to do? Keep arguing until you bled your stubborn self dry?" he was close to her face now. Perhaps close proximity got points across better. "Jo, ever since you held a rifle at my back, I've been trying to protect you."

Jo thrust her neck forward, smacking Dean's head with hers. He grunted in pain, and Jo found an opening. Pushing Dean by the shoulders, she rolled over on to him, straddling him again. She reached for her small knife in her pocket, gripped it with both hands, and held it above Dean's chest.

She forced the weapon downward towards with heart.

But Dean caught it in his hands with time to spare. He wasn't _that _easy to take out.

"Jo, didn't you hear a word I said?" he grunted as they struggled against each other's strength.

She had. But her hate was preventing her from making sense of it, from regarding any of it as the truth. She didn't answer.

Dean had more strength than Jo. That was just facts. He could hold the knife away from him easily, but he couldn't hold up his arms forever. He readjusted his grip on her hands, his thumb grazing the side of the blade. He felts indentions there, like something was carved into.

Dean smirked as he felt the W.A.H. engraved into the side of Jo's knife. Ruby wasn't the only one with a signature weapon around here.

"Well, I get the sentimentality," Dean smirked up at her, "but how do you expect to kill someone as big, strong, and dangerous as me with this little thing?"

Jo's efforts slackened a slight bit. Dean had questioned the effectiveness of this knife before. He'd offered her a bigger one from his own collection.

_Jo, ever since you held a rifle at my back, I've been trying to protect you._

Speaking of bigger knives, Jo was suddenly aware of the presence of the machete tucked in the hip her pants, grazing against her thigh, rubbing against in painfully after all her running and rolling. And her mind flashed back to her most recent hunt, littered with vampire heads and lifesaving from both parties.

Dean had hated her then, or a massive part of him did.

And he stilled saved her life.

Dean felt the muscles in Jo's hands relax, and he, in turn, relaxed his arm muscles slightly so his grip on her hands and wrists wasn't as painful.

"Jo?" he said hesitantly.

Some of the more affectionate details from their time together crept in to Jo's mind, fueled by the onslaught of memories and emotion she was having.

"When Sam came after me, you . . ." she trailed off, her breath heavy.

"I kind of saved you, actually," he reminded her, a lazy smile returning to his features. "I didn't kill Sam, but I didn't let him kill you. Believe me, if it had been anybody but Sam . . ."

Jo looked down at him, wide-eyed, as she attempted to make sense of what she felt. He helped her out.

"Jo, on your first hunt, you wanted to be bait. On the hunt in Carthage, you asked to be left, to save everyone," he recalled, his grip on Jo's knife at this point being gentle and comforting rather than defensive and forceful. "While I could tear you apart for being such an idiotic martyr, it was so self-sacrificial and selfless and . . . Jo, I only left because you asked me to. I only let you die because _you're _the one you asked."

"Why?" Jo asked him, still bewildered. "Why would you do that for me?"

"Because," he began, "Jo, I—"

And instead of finishing the sentiment, whatever it was, Dean let out a grasp of sudden and excruciating pain.

A new pair of hands had been placed on Jo's wrists, taking advantage of both of its limpness, and shoved the knife into Dean's chest. His body convulsed and curved upwards, his eyes wide and shocked.

"_Dean_!" Jo screeched, yanking the knife up from his chest.

His back collapsed against the ground and his eyes fluttered closed.

"Dean . . . _Dean_!"

"Two down," Gabriel muttered next to Jo, "two to go."


	24. Heartfelt Speeches

May I just say, I get that the actual version of our little trickster is actually a well-liked character on the show, and he *SPOILER* ...died a hero and everything *END SPOILER* ...and I pretty much villainized him entirely up to this point...so sorry if that bothers you. Please don't stop reading. I love you.

And also, sorry if you've dealt with my terrible amount of typos.

No rights to Supernatural.

* * *

><p>"Dean . . . Dean . . . <em>Dean!<em>"

Jo shook his shoulders, but it didn't accomplish much. His head rolled around a little, and sometimes, the white of his eyes could be seen between a small crack in his eyelids.

"_Dean_! Get up!" she cried.

"Be more careful where you dangle your pointy objects, honeybunch," Gabriel patted her in mock comfort on the shoulder.

Jo glared at him as intimidatingly as she could manage through her hair, a mess of blonde at this point. The wind had picked up, which had probably messed her hair up further. She probably looked downright savage, and she hoped Gabriel was intimidated.

"Hey, two minutes ago, you rooted for this outcome," he pointed out mercilessly. "Remember all those things you were thinking about Dean then?"

Jo faintly felt something dark and negative flutter inside her. But she was easily able to ignore it. There was enough grief inside her for the people she loved, too much for hate to dream of fluttering in.

Ruby was gone.

Dean was gone.

And Sam, well, without Dean, who knows what kind of condition he would be in after this?

No amount of hate Gabriel could put in her now could distract or console her right now. She looked down at the knife in her hands, stained with Dean's blood. His blood is dark where it fills in the engravings of her father's initials.

And that was the trigger.

She gripped the handle, prepared to come at Gabriel with a fraction of what she had left, which would be enough to kill eight people.

But she didn't even make it off of Dean's body before Sam came into the picture. Sam leapt at Gabriel, his head thumping against the ground with Sam's hulking figure pinning him to the ground.

"You killed my brother?" Sam snarled in his face. "I'll kill you."

"Wait, hey, can't we talk about this?" Gabriel tried.

Gabriel must have known that such a concept was about as possible as monkey falling from the sky. You mess with one Winchester, the metaphorical bull, you get the other, the metaphorical horns. His gaze came down on Sam's hand, where Ruby's knife was being gripped.

"Crap," he muttered. There weren't many things in this world that could easily kill him. Chances were, a knife forged by that of his own kind would work if jammed into the correct place.

And Sam brought the blade down hard into Gabriel's forehead.

Sam would feel terrible about this later. Killing a person wasn't something Sam did, even in anger. If it was anyone but his brother, he probably would've hesitated considerably.

But now, there was a knife jutting out of Gabriel's head. And his body was still and his eyes were closed.

And even if Sam would feel terrible about it later, because the Winchesters did this thing where they drowned themselves in guilt, for the moment, it meant the problem they'd been facing was gone. Any drop of hate she had left in her melted away.

And Jo should be excited about that. But it was hard to be excited about anything when you were straddling the unresponsive body of the man you'd been quietly crushing on for an embarrassingly long time.

"Jo?" she heard from her right.

She looked up from the body. Sam was looking at her in a way he hasn't seen since she arrived at his doorstep, but in a way she hoped to never see again. It was so accepting of her, but so full of sorrow.

Jo finally crawled off of Dean's body and got to her feet and Sam did the same. Next thing they knew, they were in each other's arms.

"I'm sorry, Jo," Sam told her, his voice so coated with sorrow that it broke Jo's heart.

"Don't even worry about it," she assured him, hoping he didn't notice the break in her voice. "I'm sorry, too."

They were like that for a while, arms around each other. Because when they let go, what were they supposed to do? How could they search Dean's body for the keys to his car, get in it, and drive back to Bobby's two people short?

"He really did love you, Jo," Sam told her quietly, his arms around her waist, "even when Gabriel—"

"Sam," she cut him off gently, talking into his shoulder, "I really don't want to hear it right now."

Sam respected that, and they just hugged and wallowed in empathy and grief some more. They stood there, clinging to each other, and holding back the tears they could. And someone was supposed to cut in to the moment with a snarky remark, but Ruby and Dean were . . .

"I'm so sorry, Jo," Sam decided it was important to let her know. "How I acted was—"

"_Sam_," she cut him off again. "It doesn't matter, alright? It doesn't matter. I don't care."

Sam stifled a small sound in his throat, which crumbled something inside Jo.

"If memory serves," she began, placing a hand on his neck, "I tried to kill you, too, in the past ten minutes."

"I'm sorry," he repeats.

And instead of shooing away the genuine remorse, this time, Jo said, "Me too."

Sam finally pulled away from Jo and slid his hands off of her waist. In turn, Jo dropped her hands from his back.

"Do we go?" Sam asked.

"I . . . I guess we go."

"What do we do with . . ." _The bodies?_ Jo couldn't bring herself to refer to them like that.

"Well, we don't leave them here," Sam was sure of. "I guess that means we . . . put them in the car."

"How morbid," Jo muttered. "You get Ruby and her knife out of Gabriel's head. I can handle Dean."

Sam nodded, still looking miserable. Jo was not about to let him drag his brother's mangled body to his brother's cherished car so he could stuff his brother in the back seat. She and Sam went separate directions and she knelt beside Dean's body, bracing herself to deal with emotions she wanted Sam to avoid.

"Hey, Dean," she said to the unmoving body. "I know you weren't into heartfelt speeches and stuff, but in your condition, I don't think you'll mind." She swallowed a lump in her throat, but the tears still came, slowly, and cracked up her voice anyway. "You probably can't even hear me right now, so I guess this is just for me.

"Dean, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I blamed you for however long it was for my dad's death. I wasn't angry at you, really. Just at . . . I don't know, I just wanted to be angry and you caught me at a bad time. And now I know that was a mistake, because if I hadn't stormed away from you that day, who knows what could've happened to us? Maybe we'd have become best buddies, and then my schoolgirl crush would've been requited, and then, I don't know, who knows what would've happened from there? Or maybe I'd have found something else to be mad about, cut ties with you anyway, and ended up being assaulted by Sam in that bar same as always. Or maybe I'd be dead. Who knows, right? I guess we never will."

Jo took a deep breath. "I hope you got all your heaven and Jesus-related affairs in order and you're in a better place now," she told the body. "Actually, that's not true. I hope you take a big gasp of air and your eyes fly open and you've heard me this whole time, and I feel like an idiot, and you hold this against me for the rest of my life."

She paused for three seconds, as if admitting she wanted this might make it happen. But Dean stayed still.

"But I guess not," she said, rubbing her wet face with the back of her hand. "And if you cared about me at all, rest assured, I don't think Sam is going to ever let anything happen to me. And, you probably care more about this, I don't think I'll let a demon get ahold of him, even if one shows up pretending she's Ruby.

"Like I said, you can't hear me. This is mostly for my own closure, and I doubt I'll feel its full effects until I say this. I've called it 'pining' and 'crushing' and all, but here's the thing. I don't know when it happened, but I'm pretty sure it was right after you gave me that fuse with the intention of letting me blow myself to pieces.

"I love you, Dean, you overprotective, arrogant, insane, incredibly skilled, loser."

She paused again, like Dean was a coma patient, and saying a particularly intense and life-changing sentiment would wake him up.

But it didn't. Dean stayed still.

She could try the Snow White strategy and see if kissing him would wake him, but this was the real world, and kissing corpses was gross. She didn't even want to touch his neck, or wrist, or chest so she wouldn't have to feel a lack of heartbeat or pulse.

Jo sighed deeply, and then rubbed her hand across her face again.

"Thanks for protecting me," she finished. Then turned back toward Sam, where he was hunched over Ruby, probably having a similar one-sided conversation.

Sam was trying to, but he couldn't seem to find words. Instead, as he watched as memories of this Ruby played in his mind.

When Ruby had seemingly come out of nowhere, brandishing her knife and saving his life before he'd ever seen her in his life. When she begged him to trust her, despite the color her eyes were. When she'd trotted up onto Bobby's doorstep, assuring them she and Jo could be trusted. When she'd proved to be a more capable hunter than he could've imagined on the vampire hunt. When she saved Dean and his life numerous times.

When she was literally stabbed in the back trying to do it again.

"I'm sorry, Ruby," he said quietly as memories continued playing behind his eyes. All the information about Odis was suddenly looked at in a new light.

Odis could control people's feelings about one another after they made a deal. Ruby made a deal with him, a long time ago, he realized. He probably hadn't even realized he was unconscious and hurt. It could've been any of his conversations with Ruby. Odis had weird memory recollection. No wonder she hardly ever shared anything about her past. Odi power could work even when unconscious. Ruby had been unconscious in a room with them, back when they'd taken on Lillth. The vessel wasn't empty.

And here Ruby was, unconscious again. Were she not dead, she could've used her powers again during that whole fight with Gabriel.

His eyes, although unfocused, were suddenly snapped into attention. He thought he saw a breathing motion in Ruby's chest. He didn't look back at her to see if what he'd seen was true. He didn't know if he could bear letting himself get his hopes up, only to be disappointed by a lack of heartbeat. And he knew where she was stabbed. If she was still alive, she wouldn't be much longer.

He accepted her death, and that was that.

* * *

><p>A parking lot of a motel. It looked familiar, but they stayed at motels a lot, so it could be one they'd never been to.<p>

"Hey, dollface," he heard from behind him.

He turned to face Ruby, arms crossed and smirk plastered on. Her grin broadened when he saw her.

"I'm unconscious?" he asked.

"Where's the smart brother when you want him?" she shrugged. "So, Dean, wanna make a deal?"

* * *

><p>~End of Chapter~<p>

Why is Jo so upset over Sam's grief? BECAUSE IT'S TERRIBLE AND HEARTWRENCHING WHEN SAM IS UPSET, THAT'S WHY.

Review, please? This story isn't my best, but it's the one I enjoy writing for the most. There's some fun facts for you.


	25. Dying Wishes

No rights to Supernatural.

* * *

><p>"I'm dreaming," Dean decided, looking around the familiar landscape. The pavement gleamed, like it had just stopped raining, and neon lights reflected up at him. "You could've picked a castle or Jupiter, but you choose a parking lot we've already been to?"<p>

"I've missed our parking lot conversations," Ruby said, sauntering up to him, arms crossed over her chest. She was in her red leather jacket and jeans she'd gotten on the shopping trip. "It was probably the nicest you've ever been to me, that whole conversation. I told you all about hell, and as it turns out, I've never been. But you were surprisingly sweet to me."

"Yeah, well, I thought you were a demon," he defended. "I've got excuses."

"So, you don't think I'm a demon now?"

Dean shook his head.

"Took you long enough," Ruby said pointedly.

"Hey, up until about half an hour ago, you were under the same impression," he pointed out.

Ruby shrugged acceptingly. "True enough. Now, back to the issue at hand. Let's make a deal so I can heal you."

Dean chuckled for whatever reason. "If I let you heal me, you could rampage my life as much as Gabriel did to Jo's."

"I seriously doubt you'll have to worry about that."

"Speaking of," Dean continued, "how did you get ahold of our emotions today?"

"I made a deal with Sam," she revealed, "a long time ago."

"How long ago?" Dean wondered. "Why hasn't he mentioned it?"

"I didn't even know what I was doing?" she shook her head, reminiscent. "It was back when fake me was around. I'd been looking for Sam, and when I found him, he was holed up in a cabin with my impersonator, half-dead."

"Did the other Ruby—"

"No, she didn't hurt him," she assured him. "Those super weirdo demon powers probably just took a toll on him or something. I went into his head, and, in his dream, he kept asking about you. He refused to make a deal with me at first. When you two are separated, you kind of go into ridiculous, depressed stupors. I guess he wanted to die."

Dean's jaw tightened at the notion.

"Anyway, I guess I figured out how to heal him. I don't know how I did it, and I don't know how I plan to do it now, but I did it. After yelling at Sam for being such a co-dependent girl of a man, he eventually let me. I didn't know you were supposed to follow-up with anything, that I now had a foothold in his life, but, you know, I guess I did, and maybe I should've been using it the whole time."

"If you Sam getting his bad guy on with fake you, why didn't you step in then?" Dean demanded of her.

Ruby's gaze shifted to the ground solemnly. "You were dead, and she was helping him get over it. I didn't want to step. I butted out his life and didn't find you guys again until I landed on your doorstep next to Jo."

"Why didn't you come in after I killed the other Ruby?" Dean asked.

"Dean, I didn't have to. You were back," she replied. "Look, are we going to look back on all the things I could've done differently, or are you going to let me heal you?"

"Well . . . yeah, of course I am," Dean agreed. "I'm not going to be the only dead person coming out of this mission."

Ruby scoffed. "You wouldn't be. I'm dying."

Dean's features went slack. "What?"

"You didn't notice the knife stuck into my back?"

"Well, sure, but why don't you just heal yourself?"

"I don't think it works that way," she shook her head calmly. "He really stuck me with knife, Gabriel did. I should bleed out soon enough."

"Well, if you're that close to death, how am I still alive?" Dean posed.

"My knife can do a lot more damage than Jo's scrap of metal can," she grinned.

"Geez, Ruby, why are you so calm about this? You're _dying_!"

"Why do you care all of a sudden?" she chortled. "Look, Dean, now that it's established that I'm a human of some sort, I'm not scared of death. My affairs are in order. It's fine. You guys don't need me."

"Sam might disagree," he pointed out.

"If Sam gets you back, I think he can handle losing me," Ruby assures him. "Speaking of Sam," she pauses for a moment, biting her bottom lip, "tell him I'm sorry for getting in between you two couple years ago. I know that's a black mark on my permanent record between the two of you."

Dean was about to protest, but she kept going, a breathiness forming in her voice, and he didn't have the heart to cut her off. "Also, tell him I'm sorry for not stepping in when he started going dark-side, and that he's one of the best, most good-hearted people alive right now, despite what he may have done in the past."

Dean nodded.

"And also, that I love him. In a friend way. Or in a romantic way, whichever one he requites. Actually, just tell him I love him and let him take it as he pleases.

"And as for the girl that _you_ love in a romantic way," Ruby continues, "tell her she's one of the only people that might ever measure up to my hardcore standard and tell her never to take any crap from you."

Dean gave a small mile, and then nodded agreeably.

"Let Bobby know I'm glad he's alive and kicking and that he's way too hot to still be single," she requested further.

"Sorry, there's something in my eye," Ruby croaked feebly, dragging her hand across her face.

"Dream tears?"

"Shut up."

Dean let himself grin, and Ruby let out a small smile of her own.

"We should hurry this along," she said. "I can heal you, yes?"

Dean nodded again. He'd been nodding a lot recently, but he meant it.

Ruby sniffed, pushing some of her blonde hair away from her face. "Good." She sighed deeply, not enjoying the finality of the moment.

"Alright, then," Ruby nodded once. "I guess that's that."

"Yeah, I guess so."

"How about when I snap you back into consciousness, you seem me walking away, from dramatic affect?"

Dean smirked. "Sure."

Ruby plastered her own smirk back on, and then turned away from Dean. She began to walk off, intending to snap her fingers and pop back to health as he watched her retreating figure. She stopped about ten steps down and looked over her shoulder. Dean was staring somberly after her.

Without another thought, Ruby was turned around. She ran and threw her arms around Dean's neck, who hugged her back a moment later.

"You be good to Jo, alright?" she said into his ear.

Dean nodded into her shoulder.

"I'm sorry for how I treated you, Ruby," he told her.

Ruby hugged him tighter, then let go, dropping her arms at her side.

"You've only got a few minutes left before we both bleed out," Ruby told him. "We should hurry this along."

Dean back away from her agreeably.

Ruby raised her fingers. When she snapped them, he'd be healed.

"I kind of actually love you, you know," Ruby informed him.

"Back at you," he replied.

A tear rolled down Ruby's cheek, which she pretended wasn't there, not acknowledging its presence at all. To make sure that she left with as much snark as she had possessed when she'd entered the Winchester's lives, she added another statement.

"Sorry I won't show up to you and Jo's wedding," she said. "Without me around, Sam gets to be best man _and _maid of honor."

Dean's smile was genuine, and reached his eyes, but there was still something solemn about it.

"Bye, Dean," Ruby sighed, finally utterly serious.

"Bye, Ruby."

She snapped her fingers.


	26. Mourning Mood

No rights to Supernatural.

* * *

><p>Jo was still hunched over Dean's body and Sam over Ruby's. Neither of them had left. Jo was sure Sam was debating scampering over and giving Dean's limp body a heartfelt goodbye before they stuffed them both in the trunk.<p>

But neither of them moved, at least not significantly. The wind blew through both of their fabulous and wonderful hair and, beside a quiver in their leg from the kneeling, or heavy sigh, or anything too radical, neither of them moved.

The first one to move drastically was Dean.

He sucked in a loud breath and his eyes flew open, Jo and Sam's with them. Jo made wide eyes at Dean, then turned to Sam, who stared back at her, as if they were reassuring each other that they were seeing the same thing.

And when it was established that they were both seeing a living, breathing Dean, Sam bolted to his feet and scuttled over.

"Dean?" he asked, as if reassuring himself more than anything.

Dean lifted himself to a sitting position. He brought a hand to his chest and drew his hand in circles across it. Aside from the hole in his shirt, there was no evidence that a knife had just gone through that area, nor any evidence he'd just been in combat at all.

"Dean, what happened?" Sam asked, utterly confused.

"Ruby healed me," he answered simply, gazing at his living body in wonder.

"Ruby?" Sam repeated. "Does that mean—"

He looked back hopefully at Ruby's body.

Dean's face fell and he looked up at his younger, and ironically taller, brother. "No," she answered solemnly. "Ruby, she's . . ."

He didn't have to finish. Sam's face fell.

"She may still be alive for now," Dean said, "just unresponsive. But I think she's just about gone, Sammy. Sorry."

Sam seemed to accept this rather easily, his lips thinning into a line and one acceptant head nod. Of course he'd accept it. He had his brother back.

To indicate to them that Ruby was still alive for the meantime, a sudden strange sensation bloomed inside Jo toward Dean that was tremendously inappropriate given the circumstances. I glance at Dean's perplexed expression told her that he was feeling the same thing.

"Yup," Dean said shortly. "Ruby's still here."

Dean and Jo only had to resist the urge to jump each other, and not in the violent nature, for about thirty more seconds. After that time was up, the feeling faded, and Ruby finally faded with it.

The group didn't speak for a long while. Dean spoke up first.

"Ruby's dead," he announced, as if testing out the theory.

"Yeah," Jo agreed, "but on the bright side, you're not."

Sam smiled at that, and Dean couldn't resist returning the expression when he saw it. Predictably, this initiated a serious bro-on-bro hug.

Jo looked on at the long and affectionate display contentedly.

As it turns out, no one actually wanted to stuff Ruby in the trunk. It was mutually decided that if they were to burn the body, as was custom for hunters, which Ruby most definitely was, they might as well do it here. They all helped gather wood from the conveniently placed forests and positioned it way they thought it looked when all of their fathers had been burned.

They wrapped the body in some stuff Dean kept in his trunk, and then rolled it onto the structure of wood they'd constructed. It was blur between the time they'd positioned the body on the formation and the time in which it was on fire. Within that time, the sun sunk behind the trees.

With a start, Jo realized she was staring at a blaze reaching for the inky sky.

"Ruby's dead," she echoed Dean from earlier, as if it just reached her realm of understanding.

Dean was standing beside her, his jaw tight. Sam was on the other side of him.

"She had a good run," Dean said. Jo wasn't sure if was a response to her statement or not.

"I'm sorry we were massive jerks to her," Sam said.

"Don't beat yourself up about it," Jo told him, knowing it was a Winchester habit. "You didn't know what she was."

"Hardcore hunter babe, that's what she was," Dean commented.

A little of the mourning mood dissolved, and Sam and Jo were able to laugh lightly.

"That she was," Sam agreed.

"She gave me messages for all of you," Dean said. "Bobby too."

"Bobby's at his house," Sam suddenly recalled, "probably worried. Tell us when we get there."

"Yeah, we should go," Jo agreed.

No one moved for the car.

"Standing here won't make her any less dead," Jo chuckled forcefully.

Dean was the first to make a move towards the Impala. Sam and Jo began to trail after him at the same time.

They reached Bobby's place without as much as a glance at each other during the car ride. They were ashamed at how they'd treated Ruby and each other over the course of the last few days. But mostly, they were relieved, and just relished that to themselves for a few moments.

When Dean tried to push the door open, he discovered it was locked.

He rapped on the wood. "Bobby! Roll over here and open up!"

A few moments later, the door swung open. Bobby smiled at Dean.

"Whoa," Sam and Jo said together.

"Tell me about it," Bobby agreed, absently twitching one of his feet now that he had the ability.

"How long were we gone?" Dean asked.

"I was healed from the whole throat-slitting incident," he explained, "but it looks like I was kind of healed _completely_."

"Was it on purpose?" Jo wondered aloud.

Bobby shrugged. "I'm not asking questions. I'm just glad to be up and about. Speaking of which, where's the fourth one?"

The trio simultaneously glanced down at their shoes.

"I see," Bobby understood.

"Turns out she was human," Sam revealed to him. "One of the Odi things. We probably wouldn't be alive without her."

"Well, then," Bobby nodded, taking the news rather calmly. "May she rest in peace, I suppose."

There was a mumble of agreement from the group.

"Well, that whole shindig is through," Dean continued. "I guess we should get out of your hair."

"It's late," Bobby pointed out. "Ya'll can shack up here one more night."

Jo quietly let out a sigh of relief. When the Winchesters took off and she was kicked out of Bobby's, she wasn't exactly sure where she was supposed to go.

"Thanks, Bobby," Dean smiled.

Bobby stepped aside and let the three remaining hunters into his home for another night.

"Oh yeah," Dean exclaimed once everyone had piled in. "Ruby had messages for all of you."

* * *

><p>~End of Chapter~<p>

Can we establish how I'm not particularly happy with this chapter?

Anyhoo, I think the next chapter should be the last chapter of the story. So if you plan to review, now's a lovely time.

Oh, wait. I just said I didn't approve of this chapter much.

...do whatever you want.

I love you.


	27. Little Blonde

This is it...the final chapter. Well...

No rights to Supernatural.

* * *

><p>Dean delivered Ruby's final messages somberly. Everyone's reactions were similar, a tight-jawed glance at the floor. There were no tears or hugs. It wasn't the custom of anyone in that room to react in such a manner. They got their messages, and they headed off to bed.<p>

Jo was zonked out quickly once she hit the bed in the room she'd shared with Ruby just that morning. It'd been what one would call a long week. She'd been saved from death, and threatened with it multiple times; she'd made a friend of questionable species, then lost her before she even knew her last name; she'd lost a group of friends to murderous rage, and eventually requited that hatred back at them.

And she didn't know what she was supposed to do next. She'd been on the road with her mom for years. She'd done some solo hunting for a short time before then. She supposed it wouldn't be too difficult to snap back into that situation.

Who was she kidding? Of course it would be.

After all this time, after the week she'd had, she still hadn't dealt with her mom's death.

As a result, it haunted her dreams that night.

She didn't remember much about her dreams later. There was her mom, obviously, and blood, and fire, and guilt. It was horrible.

She was screaming in the dream, and as this nightmare thing goes, she ends up screaming in real life. She was made aware of the fact until her body was being shaken awake.

"Jo, hey, _Jo_!" she heard faintly, but distinctly, out of context with her dream.

Her eyes flew open. Her gaze was met with Dean's face, creased with worry.

". . . yes?" she said feebly.

Dean removed his hands from her shoulders. "You were going nuts."

"It's becoming kind of a regular thing," she said, pushing herself to a sitting position.

Dean was sitting on the edge of the bed. He folded his hands in his lap. "I was thinking about something," he said.

"Congratulations. I hope your brain keeps functioning at a steady rate."

Dean rolled his eyes. "Would you let me finish?"

"Your tone is all serious," she complained, not fighting off her fatigue just yet in hopes that the conversation would dissolve. "I'm not up for serious at the moment. I want to go to sleep."

"And then what?"

"Huh?"

"What happens tomorrow?" he asks, a small sense of urgency in his voice. "Your mom's dead. Where do you go?"

"Well, thanks for dancing around the paternal death subject like a decent human being." Jo pouted. He could've at least used the words _passed on_.

"We both know I don't need to sugarcoat things for you. Now what happens tomorrow?"

Jo slides a hand down her face, trying to wipe away the lethargy, seeing as she wasn't getting rid of Dean anytime soon. "I don't know. Can we cross that bridge when we come to it?"

"Isn't planning a head a decent practice?"

"You know, Dean, you really seem like you have an idea," she pointed out accusatively, " so why don't you tell me?"

Dean pursed his lips, not prepared to have the conversation turned on him. "I'd just like to know if you're going to pack up and head who-knows-where tomorrow. Or sneak off in the middle of the night."

Jo shrugs, giving her head a small shake. "I don't know. Why do you care?"

A crease forms between Dean's brows. "Gabriel's dead, Jo. I don't hate you anymore. Of course I care."

Had she really built up so many defense mechanisms in so little time? She hoped all of this sass was due to tiredness and she didn't always treat Dean this poorly.

"Sorry," she sighed. "Seriously, though. I don't know. I don't even have a car. We left my mom's in Carthage."

"Do you want Sam and I to drive you up there and—"

"No," she decided firmly. "No, I don't want to go back there."

Dean looked at her with disgusting sympathy. "You're going to have to deal with your mom's death at some point."

"I realize," Jo responded tightly. "It's a process. Give me time."

"This brings back the same issue," Dean said. "What are you going to do in the morning?"

"And it's the same answer: _I don't know_."

Dean rolled his eyes and let his head fall back, clearly frustrated, which Jo resented.

"Is it really that big of an issue, Dean?" Jo scowled.

"Yes!" Dean replied, throwing up his hands.

Her voice escalated. "Why? What does it matter to you?"

"_Because _Jo. I got you back!" he exclaimed.

Jo quieted, shrinking in on herself. "What? You've had me back for a while."

"No, I mean . . ." Dean trailed off. He rubbed at his chinned and gazed at something faraway, and then stood from the bed, not face her. When he turned back around, he held out his hands and launched into an explanation he felt he should give her.

"I thought you were dead, Jo," he reminds her, a breathiness in his voice she wasn't familiar with. "I came back to Bobby's all torn up about, burnt up a picture, and sat on the couch and didn't talk to anyone. I was upset and broken and then, about an hour later, I wasn't. I thought it was that whole healing process thing. Turns out, I hated you. When I opened Bobby's door and found you standing there, I handled it entirely the wrong way."

"It wasn't your—"

"Yeah, yeah, it wasn't my fault," Dean swatted the air, waving off the comment. "But still, I kiss you, mourn your death, and when you show up in front of me, I slam a door in your face. That was my opportunity to realize I've got a chance to do things right this time, to not let you get away, and what do I do?"

"Act like a massive buttface?" Jo finished for him.

"Yes, Jo, thank you," he gives her a tight smile. "Tonight, we take care of the hate problem. I get home, I'm lying in bed, and it hits me: I have you back. _I have you back_. Living and breathing. I haven't lost you. And even if I've treated you like dirt, even before this whole Odi mess, I couldn't just fall asleep knowing you could get up and tiptoe out of here any seconds.

"This is why I care so much," he continues, walking up to Jo and bending slightly, looming over her. "I let you out of my life. Twice, if you consider the times when you weren't dying, and I left you or I let you stomp off in another direction. When I do it again, I'd better be watching you walk away."

Jo wasn't fatigued anymore.

She was a little amused, because from some angles, it seemed like she had Dean a little hung up on her. Maybe she should pseudo-die more often.

A smile played at the corners of her mouth.

"Who says you have to?" she smirked.

Dean seemed taken aback. "What?"

Her next points might seem a bit problematic, but she had an idea for what might further her argument.

She kicked off the thin blankets covering her legs and launched herself into Dean's arms, throwing her arms around his neck. With the height difference, element of surprise, and speed of occurrence, one might think the kiss might've been misaimed and fallen prey to anticlimax. However, Jo aimed remarkably, mouth-on-mouth contact on the first attempt.

Dean met the gesture warmly, almost immediately resting his hands on her waste, his mouth parting slightly. A sound of spirited satisfaction came from Jo's throat.

It felt good.

Their bodies formed comfortably to each other, as if they'd done this a million times. They had had some practice, obviously, but this was like none of the others. Their first kiss had been tinged with regret and sorrow and abdominal pain, and while it was a vastly appreciated gesture, it hurt more than anything else. Their more recent tries had been nice and all, but had been stained with attempts to chip away contempt an doubt as to whether anything they were feeling was real.

But there was little doubt that this exchange was, and it comforted them both, pulling them deeper into this kiss. Dean entangled his hand and Jo's hair, angling Jo's head up to him in attempt to cope with his height. Jo slid her hands to his shoulders and down to his chest, her playful smile gone, but still enjoying the incident immensely.

Dean took some of the hair hanging in Jo's face's and held it back as they pulled away from each other.

Jo pointed finger at his chest, a smile on her lips. "You're going to stuff me in the trunk and we're going to hunt bad things and have rollicking good time and unnerve Sam, who I will become excellent friends with, with our moments of ridiculous PDA, you got it?"

Dean looked at her, tucking the hair behind her ears, a corner of her mouth twitching. "Jo, I—"

Jo cut him off with another kiss, making outstanding use of her tongue.

Dean pushed her off gently, "Oh, you manipulative little—," he began to accuse, but didn't end up letting himself finish and then picked up where she left off.

There was a window in Jo's room, which their spectator, at this point, decided it was rather creepy to be looking into.

Sam was obviously having his brain affected by all that hate he'd had put in him, and the anger he'd already had. When aiming to kill something, choice A is the heart, not the head.

After all, hadn't he watched Gabriel kill Ruby? That knife had gone into Ruby's back, sure, but had definitely found her heart, if not as cleanly as he would've liked.

Gabriel turned away from the window and stalked back towards the wood.

Ruby had figured out how to heal people, it seemed. In the nick of time, too. Now Dean and the pint-size blonde could live happily ever after, or at least live decently until the gory fate the probably awaited them both caught up with one of them.

Odi's fed off their makeshift chaos, but maybe, Gabriel decided, he should stop messing with Winchesters and their team of do-gooders. He'd lifted his influence once Sam had stabbed him, an effective faking of his own death, which he seemed to be doing a lot of when it came to that group. Perhaps he could find another poor, dying individual. Maybe he could stop the practice altogether! The chaos felt good to feed off of, but he wasn't sure he actually _needed _it. He wasn't entirely heartless. He was human after all. Maybe he'd give it up!

. . . Probably not.

Sure, let the surly one and the small girl have their happiness. That he could afford them. In fact, a part of him was a little happy for them.

But it was dumb to think he'd stop messing with the Winchesters now. He'd made such good use of it in the pass. It'd been quite fun, and they never mange to take him out so far.

Yeah, he'd probably be back for the Winchesters.

And their little blonde, too.

But maybe not anytime soon.

* * *

><p>~End of Story~<p>

Okay, I'm really bad at writing kissing scenes, okay? But that's probably one of the best ones I've ever done. No, you don't understand. I'm really, really bad at it.

Anyways, this one's done with, except for all the typos and various little issues I doubt I'll bother to fix. But if you just can't bear to part with me, I plan to upload chapter one of a new Dean/Jo fic shortly after I upload this. Hopefully, it'll by loads better than this one was.

Have a lovely day, sweethearts.


End file.
